The Longer You Run
by serafina19
Summary: On the surface, the only thing that tied together Chloe Sullivan and Oliver Queen was a story. But behind closed doors was an accidental relationship that unintentionally changed everything.
1. Prologue

**Warning**: adult content, coarse language, possible OOC due to the AU.

* * *

**The Longer You Run**

_**Prologue**_

Lifting her head off the pillow, Chloe sighed as she looked towards the other body in the bed. It wasn't how she pictured herself waking up this morning... or any morning for that matter, but she couldn't complain considering how last night started. If nothing else, the man definitely lived up to his reputation, which was also kind of unfortunate for a man that had everything, but such was life.

As was finding out the hard way that her cousin and her best friend were seeing each other behind her back. She understood the secrecy, as her romantic life was nonexistent and life in general hadn't been easy. They probably didn't want to rub their happiness in her face, but the honesty would have mattered much more than the lie of them continuing to dance around their feelings for each other. In fact, if she had found out any other day and _any_ other way, Chloe would have been happy for them because she no longer had to deal with their bickering.

The only problem now was the sudden realization that the colour green represented more than her ripped lingerie across the room. It was stupid really, but Lois was living Chloe's dream. Ace reporter for the _Daily Planet_, Clark, a relatively tolerable social life, all while Chloe was stuck with stooping to one-night stands with a playboy... which reminded her that it was time to get out of here, as she didn't want the one night that she let her insecurities go to backfire.

However, for a few hours, Oliver Queen served as a distraction, a well-needed reprieve from everything that was going on. Because her problems spread much further than Clark and Lois' relationship and the general frustration that she tried and failed to hide. Even if none of that existed, yesterday was her least favourite day of the year, something both Clark and Lois knew, but they still bailed on her.

Finally, the cherry on top was the whole reason Chloe had broken into Lois' in the first place. The care facility had called, telling her basically the last thing she wanted to hear, so Chloe was going to forget the fact that she was sitting alone in her apartment and seek comfort from her cousin... or at least a lift there because her car was in the shop. But after she had let herself in, Chloe lasted about five and a half seconds inside before the indistinguishable sounds filled the apartment. As they got louder in her head, Chloe rushed outside and didn't look back until she was outside Lois' building, wanting nothing more than to erase that memory.

It was as if the world had stamped _Fuck my life _on her forehead. Even though the care facility had called back to reassure Chloe that everything was status quo, it wasn't enough to change her mood. She knew that reassurance confirmed and continued the strangest sense of a miracle, but it always felt like a cheap truth, no matter how grateful she felt to hear these words.

Still, when she had stared up and saw the Ace of Clubs, Chloe didn't hesitate in going in, as it practically beckoned her to have a drink. No one would have blamed her considering the past few hours and she had looked good enough to get in, despite the mascara streaks on her cheeks. Then again, vulnerable women were probably a quarter of their clientele, as they never blinked at her when she entered the packed club.

The rest of the night was a blur, but she remembered their encounter perfectly. She was sitting at the bar, just trying to make the best of her night, when she heard him say:

_"Rough night?"_

She could have ignored him, said a simple _yes_, but last night she looked him straight in the eyes and asked_, "Do you want it make it better?"_

From there, it was about letting go, of releasing each frustration through a method she didn't often resort to. Which lead to now, a moment where on one hand, Chloe was wondering what she was thinking... and on the other, complete bliss.

Looking at the floor, she recognized that her underwear was going to be useless, so she picked up her skirt, knowing she could pull this look off without underwear until she got back to her apartment. As she moved the skirt up her legs, the rubbing sensation between her thighs brought back flashbacks of the night that was and it took everything Chloe had to not make a noise. The last thing she wanted was to inflate his ego bigger than it already was.

**~0~**

He had heard her wake up, but instead of talking, he watched her as she emerged from the sheets, likely ready to leave. Oddly enough, there was a part of him that was surprised to see her there, as Oliver figured the whole thing had been a crazy dream. After all, Chloe Sullivan wasn't the usual type of woman who wanted his attention, but it was clear that she wanted this, and who was he to say no to her?

Last night – and this morning – was definitely worth the experience and the inevitable regret that would flash in her eyes the moment she noticed he was awake. Because it was clear that whatever it was that she needed, it had gone through her system.

"You're not one for cuddling are you?" he asked, not afraid of the fact that he broke the silence.

"And you are?" Chloe replied immediately, turning her head over her shoulder in time to see him sit up in the bed. "No offense, but I highly doubt that you value your _cuddling _skills."

"Still... you're going so soon?"

Her eyes narrowed at his insinuation, as this was probably his ideal situation, but then she realized that he probably just wanted another round, which was not happening anytime soon. "Look, the sun's going to be up in a few hours, and well, I have work to do."

"In that case," he said as he pulled back the sheets and stood up, not bothering to cover himself up as he walked towards the bathroom. "It was good to meet you."

It was hard for Chloe not to gawk as he walked by, a stare that she knew that he had noticed, but as she leaned down to pick up her shirt, she regained her focus. "Goodbye," was about all she could manage as she left the room, wanting nothing more than to forget this night ever happened.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: Complete honesty here. Still a WIP, still a way's from posting Chapter 1, but I consider this a quick preview of things to come... and a head's up that I'm still writing away._

_I point it out in the warning, but this is __**very**__ AU. Besides a few indirect references and parallels, canon flies out the window. The biggest change: no superheroes, no apocalypses or aliens, just normal human beings. I'm trying to keep this in-character as much as possible, but they have very different lives, so with that... they're going to be (a little) different._

_Granted, I know this is hardly the first attempt at this idea and overall, the storyline scares me a little because there are facets of this story that are involved in some beloved Chlollie fics. But truth be told, this fic is about writing all the facets of Chlollie that scare me, so instead of running from it (pun unintended), I'm keeping myself honest and ensuring it gets finished._

_With that disclaimer... I hope you stick around for Chapter 1._


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

Even as an outsider, there was something in the air of the _Daily Planet_ that invigorated Chloe. The bustle around the bullpen, the clacking keys, the coffee, doughnuts and chatter. This was journalism, even if it was owned by the worst man she knew.

In the middle of it all, as always, was her cousin Lois, likely fretting over a spelling mistake as she argued with the copyeditor. The two women never saw eye-to-eye, but Lois' spelling inadequacies were well-known in this environment.

Eventually, Lois noticed Chloe standing across the room and immediately smacked her hand to her forehead, a clear sign that their plans weren't going to be that for much longer.

"Chloe, I can't... sorry."

She could see Lois' apology coming from a mile away, so Chloe held up her hand. "No worries, Lois. Another time."

Except that didn't make Lois feel any better, as this was the third time she had to cancel on Chloe this week. "Come on, the coffee in this place tastes like crap, but I've got five minutes."

Nodding, Chloe followed her as they approached the coffee machine, but she couldn't resist looking around a little bit more. By the time she was done, Lois had a small frown on her face as she passed Chloe her coffee.

"This place misses you, you know." If nothing else, Lois knew that she missed working with her cousin. For while Clark was a great partner, it was definitely true what they said about blood when it came to Sullivan-Lane women.

Chloe looked back to the bullpen, her place of employment about four, maybe five months ago. There was a small part of her that would always miss this place, another small part that regretted her decision, but even now, Chloe knew it was for the best. "I miss working with you and Clark, but the rest of it... let's just say I'm happy with freelance."

She could see that Lois didn't believe her, as Lois always figured that time would change her mind, but before she could say anything, someone Chloe didn't recognize interrupted them. "Lois, the boss needs you."

Sighing, Lois shook her head, acknowledging the intern before turning back to Chloe. "As least Lex had the decency to bring Perry back." It wasn't much, but she would take it because it sure as hell beat the three months Lex decided to run the paper himself. Staring at her still-full coffee cup, Lois placed it down, almost grateful that she didn't have to drink it. "I'm still picking you up for Christmas dinner at the farm right?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind." Her car had crapped out on her again, and it appeared that it was the final straw. Chloe wanted to buy a new one, but she was also kind of strapped for cash, so at this point, that would take a Christmas miracle.

So Chloe slipped her arms through her coat, smiling at Lois as she walked away before re-entering the bullpen herself. Looking across the room, she noticed her best friend hunched at his desk, working hard as always. It was never a place that she saw Clark Kent working, but it appeared all those days of working together at the high school paper paid off for him. Although speaking of miracles, it was nothing short of one that they were in as good of a place as they were now.

Back in high school, it was the clichéd case of unrequited interest on Chloe's part, something Clark knew full well, but was too afraid to say anything about it. They had grown up together, experienced a lot of growing pains together, but while Chloe was just the journalistic freak, Clark was high school royalty. Football quarterback, prom king... and he probably would have been class president if he ran. In movies, you always see high school royalty as some stuck-up snob, but Clark always treated people with respect and class. It was probably why he was so beloved in school, but he had only one high-school sweetheart, the beauty that every guy swooned for.

She was someone Chloe had also grown up with, but high school seemed to change her, not necessarily for the worse, but it proved that she was destined for different things than Chloe and Clark. So after graduation, she went away from college and Chloe had barely heard from her since.

However, a few months after her departure, Clark decided to ask Chloe out, mainly to see what happened. But after a few dates, they both realized that they were better as friends, so they took a step back for a few weeks, letting the awkwardness subside and from there, their friendship to fall back into place and they never looked back.

So when Clark looked at her today, that stare and subsequent smile that used to give her butterflies no longer did. In fact, all those years of pining took two weeks to fade away with the right circumstances. It was for the best because about a year after their break-up, if they could call it that, Clark and Lois started getting close. It took time, but she brought out the best in him, and he did the same for her. Bonus points were for the fact that they always tried to make Chloe feel included, even if they waited years to finally admit it, and an additional two weeks to finally admit to Chloe that they were dating.

To their credit, they both apologized to no end and went out of their way to make up for bailing on Chloe on the night she'd rather not remember. So in return, Chloe went out of her way to try and get them to out their relationship, instead of telling them that she knew. It was petty, but the abrupt way Lois would try to change the conversation combined by the way Clark automatically blushed was almost worth everything.

When they finally did tell her about a month and a half ago, Chloe could only smile, similar to how she was right now as Clark got up from his desk to give her a hug.

"Lois cancelled on you again, didn't she?"

Chloe nodded. "I never remember Christmas time being this busy before."

Laughing as he scanned the bullpen, Clark recognized that it was a lot emptier than it usually was, but it sure didn't feel that way. "It usually isn't, but we're incredibly short-staffed due to the holidays."

Glancing at the pile of work on his desk, she couldn't help but shake her head. "Code for _I'm super busy_."

He didn't want to push her away so quickly, especially considering how much they had been working lately, but as he gave a sympathetic smile, Chloe knew it was the truth. So she smiled back and began to walk past him. Turning around, Clark called after her, "You're coming Friday right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Chloe replied as she waved at him. "Catch you later, Clark."

After a few steps, Chloe turned around again, watching Clark sit down, breathing that air in one more time. It felt silly that she still got nostalgic, but everything she had done back then went into achieving this dream, so it was nice to be able to appreciate it again. Because for three years she had it, only to have everything change as she packed up her things and left. That day... nothing felt right, but since then a lot had changed.

When she had entered this elevator that day, her box of stuff wrapped in her arms, Chloe didn't know what she was going to do, but Chloe did know that she meant every word she said to Lois today. Freelance gave her a sense of freedom away from Lex Luthor, a freedom to write the stories she wanted, but it wasn't as easy to curate stories as she thought. She had taken advantage of a few contacts from university, but she was just barely getting by and not even touching her student debt.

But there had been some positive strides in the right direction, so Chloe continued to be optimistic, knowing that everything would work out in the end. After all, the world definitely owed her a break at this point.

As the elevator arrived at its destination, the doors opened to reveal a better looking day than the one Chloe had experienced just minutes ago. Staring outside, Chloe recognized that the wind had died down from this morning, so she loosened her scarf from around her neck and approached the main doors, ready to brace the weather to get a well-needed coffee, as she knew better than to drink the cup she had abandoned upstairs.

Ducking her head to prepare herself for the cold, Chloe didn't realize there was someone on the other side, so she had hit him with the door. Bringing up her head almost immediately, she was about to apologize; only the eyes staring back froze her.

"Long time, Chloe," he said with a smile, clearly happier to see her than Chloe was to see him.

Heck, she was surprised that he even remembered her name. Still, she wasn't about ignore the fact that she did know him. "Oliver." She fully exited the building with every intention of calling this a strange coincidence, but Oliver's voice broke her momentum.

"You're back at the Daily Planet." Not that it would surprise Oliver if she managed to get her job back, but he certainly didn't expect it considering how far he trusted Lex Luthor.

"Not professionally," Chloe replied with a small sigh, turning her head over her shoulder. To her surprise, instead of going inside, Oliver let the door close. So she turned fully, curiosity getting the best of her. "Why are you here? This is like the lion's den for you."

"Making the interview circuits," Oliver replied, shrugging a shoulder. "Such is the burden."

Chloe scoffed. "A tough one, I bet." Again, he smiled at her, but Chloe knew that he had to be used to his critics and it didn't take a genius to know that she was one of them... despite their history.

He took a few steps forward, taking note of her discomfort with the situation, but there was another reason he had come to the _Daily Planet_. "On second thought, maybe I could hire you... professionally of course." Her head immediately jerked back, so Oliver was more than willing to fill in the blanks. "We have some great initiatives coming for Queen Industries, but things tend to get lost behind my personal affairs."

Trying not to roll her eyes, Chloe teased, "Another burden, I presume?"

Except Oliver wasn't in a joking mood. "The perk of the targeting a freelance writer is that they might actually listen to you when you say that you want to talk about business."

Unable to hold back the roll this time, Chloe also didn't try to hold back her skepticism. "With you, that's every journalist, not just freelance." In this town, and probably most towns, money talked, and people like Oliver Queen had more than enough to buy the press they needed.

"Maybe," Oliver replied, acknowledging the validity of her point, but this time, it wasn't about buying press. This time, he wanted the company to come first. "But you and I both know that you won't ask the usual tabloid garbage. I mean, how often do people need to read what my favourite colour is or my relationship status?"

Blinking, Chloe was trying to figure out if he was being serious. "I think you'll find your answer in how many tabloids you sell in Star City... and here since you made Metropolis your second home."

"Here's the deal, you get ten questions to write an article." Taking a few steps closer to her, Oliver reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. "I do want to have some form of final say, but I'm familiar with your work, so I'm sure that it will be fair." He held out his card and to his surprise, Chloe took it, so he began to head down the street.

"Weren't you going inside?"

"Nope," he said as he kept walking, waving his hand in the air once. "I've found the writer I was looking for."

Those words cut deep as Chloe's head whipped down to the card. She figured it was just one of those generic ones, but a second glance caused her to see his personal cell number on the third line. Part of her wanted to feel disgusted, wondering what his intentions were, but they were shoved aside almost immediately. The truth was... this was probably the break Chloe was waiting for... but was there any chance she would actually take it?

**~0~**

Upon hearing the knock on the door, Chloe yelled, "It's open," knowing it was Lois picking her up for Christmas dinner. She was just about ready, but Chloe hadn't actually pegged Lois for being early for once.

Finishing her make-up, Chloe smiled in the mirror, ready to enjoy at least one evening of the holiday season. So she grabbed her purse and headed out to the common area, but instead, she found her cousin standing in the kitchen.

"What's this?" she asked, a question Chloe didn't realize would be so dangerous until she noticed that Lois was staring at Oliver's card. She had left it on the kitchen table for a few days, as Chloe tried not to think about their recent encounter as long as she could help it.

Reaching out, Chloe tried to swipe the card away, but Lois scooped it up before she had a chance to touch it. "That's nothing," Chloe nonetheless insisted.

"Funny," Lois replied, eyeing the card closely. "Oliver Queen's personal business card is about the furthest thing from nothing."

"He..." Chloe smiled as she successfully took the card this time and walked away to ensure Lois didn't take it again. "He wants me to write a story on Queen Industries."

She hadn't hid the card well, stashing it inside her bedside table drawer, but it didn't seem to matter, as Lois hadn't followed her. However, the moment she left her bedroom again, she found Lois in her living room, arms crossed. "And you're thinking about saying no?"

"I'm thinking about the offer," Chloe corrected, not really wanting to talk about this right now.

"You have to take it." Lois noticed her cousin's eyes roll right before she opened the door, but Lois was dead serious. "It's not just because this is the break you've been praying for, but your hospital bills aren't going to get any cheaper." That wasn't a card she wanted to pull, but sometimes money had to come before pride, no matter how much it hurt at the time.

However, seeing Chloe's expectant glare, Lois tried to lighten the mood. "Besides, you'll pull Cat down a peg or two and let's face it, her struggle... is my joy."

"How does this relate to Cat?"

Lois bit her tongue, as she should have expected that question, but it wasn't something she wanted to admit. "I... screwed up, so instead of writing an expose on Queen Industries... Perry gave it to Cat." Seeing her cousin smile would have been a good sign, unfortunately, Lois didn't see it. "Only he _cancelled_ the meeting earlier this week and from the feelers I put out... it wasn't the only one."

"Lois," Chloe seethed as she leaned against the elevator walls, almost tempted to leave her cousin behind and take a cab to Smallville.

However, she didn't, so Lois calmly got inside the elevator. "Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious. It couldn't hurt for you to explore this opportunity... or _opportunities_."

That unfortunate insinuation got Chloe to cough loudly, more of a reaction than she wanted, but she was quickly reassured that Lois would figure that would be her default reaction. So Chloe cleared her throat and said, "_That _is wrong on so many levels."

"Relax cuz, I'm only teasing." As the elevator opened, Lois exited first and began to walk towards her car parked out front. "But seriously when was the last time you've been on a date?"

_And there it is,_ Chloe thought as she rolled her eyes. "It's been longer than the last time you asked that question."

"Yet the question persists with no answer."

"Not all of us need to be in happily romantic bliss." Chloe pulled out her phone and quickly checked her emails as she approached the door. At this point, anything was better than putting her focus on this conversation. "Some are satisfied with the working world."

"Says the woman who's had one actual relationship," Lois said as she snatched the phone from Chloe's hands. Lois knew that she wasn't exactly one to talk, as it took plenty of encouragement from Chloe before she went out with Clark and her romantic life was incredibly messy before. But she at least tried, while Chloe was insistent on isolating herself.

Shaking her head, Chloe held out her hand for Lois to return the phone, point well-taken, not that she would ever miss it. "You know how that ended _and_ how quickly he moved on."

"It has almost been a year Chlo." Lois sighed before passing back the phone, glad to see Chloe put it away before she held the door open for Lois to exit first. "Besides, even you can admit that you were growing apart long before that."

Chloe gave a sarcastic laugh as she approached Lois' car. It wasn't hard to remember how much Lois and Jimmy didn't see eye-to-eye. Even to this day, their professional relationship was shaky at best.

"As I said... I'm thinking about it," Chloe reminded Lois as they both entered the car. "Now can we go?" Fortunately, Lois turned the key and began to drive, that particular topic effectively dying for the night.

**~0~**

After Lois dropped her off, Chloe walked into her apartment and went straight into her bedroom. Crashing on the bed, Chloe had to admit, this year's Christmas spirit never really appeared, even on the day. The smiles were there, but it still wasn't the same feeling she used to get during the season. She thought back to the days when she enjoyed Christmas, when she decorated her family home with her parents and she felt like they were untouchable. Unfortunately, life taught her otherwise, as since the accident, Chloe never felt that same type of enthusiasm.

Opening the bedside table drawer, Chloe pulled out the card that had been practically mocking her all week. The whole time, she couldn't help but debate his motive. Why her of all people? Was it because of what happened between them? Was there even a story to write?

Best case scenario, Lois was right. This was an opportunity most journalists would dream about, but her previous acquaintances with billionaires taught her that everything comes with a price. Now, it wasn't as if she had a whole lot to _give_, but she didn't want to look like a fool.

Unfortunately, this time, it seemed as if the money argument was going to win out as her bills were also left unfolded on the table next to the card. Most of them she could pay, but she knew that her savings were close to running out. Chloe knew that she had to write more than she was, but she was exhausting her resources as it was, and for some reason, the criminal element of the city decided to take an inopportune break.

So she picked up the card again and stared at it hard. Despite everything she had lost in life, Chloe was still a strong woman who had found her way out of tough situations before. If Oliver Queen wanted to mess with her, then that was his call, but Chloe would make him regret it.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Walking through the elevator doors, Chloe's heels clacked through the hallway as she approached what she assumed was Oliver's office. There wasn't anyone around right now, not even his assistant, as the desk in front of his office was vacant.

But in no time, Oliver himself had stepped out of his office and spotted her. "Miss Sullivan, please... right this way."

Was it wrong that she actually felt a little nervous? She had tried to hide it, but Chloe knew that he had to notice that she swallowed hard as she came closer. "Personal greeting... you must be serious about this article."

"My assistant is taking some holiday time." He notice her pause in the doorway, but he insisted that she enter first. Once she was inside, Chloe turned to look at him, her look purely business, which was exactly what he was looking for. "I was surprised when Lauren told me that you booked so soon."

Then again, he also figured Chloe would call him on his cell, give him a piece of his mind, maybe even pick his mind for awhile. But instead, she called his assistant, apparently wanting to speak to the person who ran his calendar. Then she scheduled the interview three days after Christmas, which was a fact that didn't seem to shake her one bit, as she just plainly shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Yet here we are." After all, if Chloe was a betting woman, she figured that Oliver Queen enjoyed the holidays just as much as she did, so he probably appreciated the distraction. Meanwhile, it got the article off her mind before the new year bells rang and she could put this odd sense of coincidences behind her. It was a win-win.

"In that case," Oliver said before walking towards her again, "I wanted to thank you for accepting my offer."

He had stuck out his hand for her to shake it, a simple gesture, but it took Chloe longer than it should for her to accept it. Even though she was here, that didn't mean that she was overly _comfortable_ with his current proximity. "No need, this is a great opportunity for me." Releasing his hand, Chloe took a few calculated steps back, establishing the necessary buffer zone. "Your assistant was very thorough in the details of these projects."

That was something Oliver insisted upon, as he went a little above the normal media protocol. "I wanted you to be prepared."

Chloe nodded before she opened her notebook to her questions, taking note of how he walked over his desk and leaned against the edge. It couldn't be the most comfortable thing to lean against, as there were chairs across the room, probably ones that cost more than her average pay cheque, but not once did he offer a seat, nor did he indulge without her. For some reason, he seemed to be a little restless, as his fingers tapped gently against the desk, not long after he pushed himself off it again, the whole time his eyes focused everywhere.

Narrowing her eyes, Chloe tried to figure out what was going on in his head. "You... you do realize that I'm still developing my name as a freelance writer. I'm just a name."

Oliver scoffed, as she may not highlight papers across the country, but among the reasons he wanted Chloe Sullivan to write this piece was the fact that she had more talent than even she gave herself credit. "Well, it's a name that has been on the front page of the _Daily Planet_ on multiple occasions, not to mention that you've written numerous freelance pieces across the state and received a personal recommendation from Perry White... even though he never worked with you."

Sure, her work had slowed down lately, likely linked to the quarter-life crisis she had experienced since leaving the _Daily Planet_, but Chloe was one of a very select group of journalists. One that wrote the truth no matter what it took, one that didn't care who she pissed off and got the job done. Oliver admired her for that.

He finally glanced in her direction, just in time to see her clamp her mouth shut. It was clear that she didn't expect him to know so much about her, which was a fair assumption, but if he was going to be taken seriously by her, especially after the last time they were alone together in the same room, he had to level the playing field at least a little bit.

Clearing her throat, Chloe said dryly, "You did your homework I see." For although the assessment wasn't completely accurate, it was pretty damn close. Perry's recommendation had nothing to do with her professional work, but she would wasn't about to tell him that.

"I won't lie when I said that I was hoping to see you again." Oliver grinned as her head popped up from her notes, but he just grinned, gave a slight shrug. He knew that she would assume that his intentions for that comment were related to a completely different subject, but that was fine with him. "Your cousin would have been an alright substitute, but...I had a feeling that I could trust you more."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Chloe unconsciously took a step towards him. "Trust is an interesting word choice."

Oliver responded by taking a few steps of his own. "I've been told that if you want to convince the world, you start with your toughest critic."

She laughed dryly at that comment. "Little ol' me?" At this point, he was close enough that Chloe had to crane her neck, but she was used to being shorter and she learned a long time ago that size never defined intimidation. So she kept her composure and replied strongly, "Mr. Queen, let me assure you, I may be a critic, but I'm far from your toughest. And no article is going to dull the hatred you and Lex Luthor have for each other."

Leaning his head down, Oliver smirked, taking note that when the moment was right, she was just as fiery sober than she was after a few drinks. Not that it surprised him, but that realization came with a few unfortunate consequences, as this was actually turning him on a little and the fact his face was inches from hers didn't help. "I guess only time will tell."

Chloe wasn't doing much better, as his words had caused her breathing to slow immediately. He was almost too good at that, which was pathetic for her to think, but she couldn't help but remember that night and how satisfied it made her feel. Not to mention it was an empty office floor and...

And what was she thinking? This wasn't the time to be unprofessional. Somehow, Chloe managed to calmly walk past Oliver, looking firmly down at her pad as her heels clicked on the floor once more. "So shall we get started?"

"I'm ready when you are."

"Okay... what's your favourite colour?" Seeing the disapproval on his face, Chloe bit her bottom lip to hold back her laughter before asking the question she really wanted to ask. "How about we start with your latest satellite technology? In the last year, your satellites were one of the few to hold up after a freak blackout incident and now you're saying that they're improved. Care to elaborate on the potential for this technology and what makes Queen Industries satellites hold up so well?"

After a short pause, Oliver replied, "You know I can't disclose intellectual property."

Of course Chloe knew that, but that didn't stop her from taking this interview seriously. It was what he wanted after all. "You've spun this question before and you told me that I could ask ten questions, so what can you tell me?"

"That my favourite colour is green." He could see her understandably about to protest, but he held a finger up to stop her. "And no, it has nothing to do with money, nor a convenient answer towards the fact the world is moving in a more environmentally-friendly direction, although nature is part of the reason." Oliver walked towards the window, placing his fingers delicately against the glass upon arrival. "My mom... always lit up when the first signs of spring showed up."

"You grew up in California," he heard her comment softly, in fact a lot quieter than the insinuation he had been expecting.

He was tempted to address that comment, tell her how he had witnessed the changing of seasons plenty in his life, but now wasn't the time. "Green represents new life, a sense of hope in the darkness as grass and dandelions grow between the cracks on the pavements. It's a reminder of where we come from, what we started with."

Turning around, he grinned at Chloe before finishing his point. "And that makes us grateful for what we have, reminding everyone to hold onto everything that matters to us, because you never know when you are going to lose it."

Chloe mouth opened, but she waited for him in case he wasn't finished. It wasn't as if she expected Oliver to take that question seriously... or answer it so seriously... or at all. Tapping her pen against the notepad, she wrote down a few essential points. "That... that doesn't answer my question."

"Not your most recent one, but it does answer _one_ of your questions." He saw her eyes widen, but Oliver knew he had made himself clear regarding the quantity of questions. If she missed out on something, that was her fault. "Now about the satellites..."

**~0~**

The rest of the interview went smoothly, as Chloe found a way to everything she needed with eight of the many questions she had outlined. The colour question wasn't supposed to count, but he gave her some decent quote fodder, so she played along with it.

That left one more question, one that Chloe was debating asking now because it because it felt so trivial. But in the end... this was about the man as much as it was about the company. "I know this teeters on personal territory, but with you, this place always has a hint of personal involved. People constantly compare you to your parents, weighing their expectations against you while you run the company they left behind."

"Is there a question in there?"

Chloe nodded as she sat down at on the arm of one of the chairs, her feet starting to bother her after standing for so long. "Very few people could imagine what it's like to lose both of their parents and take on a company at the age of ten. But you did and the company is still standing and in its best place since your parents' died."

It wasn't a fact Chloe had realized until she prepared for this interview. People, including herself, thought he was just a figurehead, but the numbers didn't lie and it was clear that Oliver was behind most of it, no matter how much he hid from real publicity. "This sounds clichéd, I know, but I'm curious... if you could tell your parents anything right now... what would it be?"

Oliver paused as the question finished in his head, a smile forming as it sunk in. "It's funny, because I have been asked this before, and every time I give a different answer. However, I don't think I would have said any of those things."

Before, no one really cared about his relationship with his parents, just the legacy. The media wanted the sentimental goodbyes, the loving words, but life had taught him something that made him realize his true answer.

"In the end, the one true regret people like me have is that we didn't get to say goodbye." True, his final memory of his parents was a positive one, but it still hurt knowing that he went to sleep one night with his parents next to him and the next night... they were gone.

"Looking at them, even if they just heard my voice...the fact that I love them would be clear, the fact that I'm nervous to see if I'll live up to their standard would be obvious and they would know that I would never forget them."

It felt wrong to just summarize so many feelings in one sentence, but Oliver was also a realist. He knew it wasn't possible, so there wasn't much point on dwelling on long-winded speeches. "I mean, I can only hope that they're proud of me." Shrugging, Oliver turned his head over his shoulder to meet Chloe's eyes. "So in the end... I would just want to say goodbye."

From the moment he spoke, Chloe sat silently, listening to his answer. When she wrote that question, it was supposed to be a light way to end the interview and only if she had a question to burn, but with each answer, Chloe wanted to know _this _answer. It was a selfish purpose, one she wasn't proud of, as there was only so much of that response that Chloe could use, but that didn't stop her from freezing momentarily as the words repeated in her head.

However, it was clear that he was finished, so Chloe got her business face back on. Standing up, Chloe closed her pad and put it in her purse. "That should be all I need. I'll be in touch once the piece is ready."

As Chloe walked towards the door, Oliver matched her stride, holding the door open for her to exit. "I look forward to your call."

**~0~**

Leaning back in her chair, Chloe pieced together her notes, the quotes and overall content and smiled. She knew he offered to pay her, but she was going to do this her way, especially with the connection she could use in this case.

Holding up his card, Chloe tapped it once against the base of her laptop. Last time she had heard from him was a few months ago, telling her that he didn't have space for the article she had sent him. It was understandable that he couldn't always pull strings for her; after all, he was getting stories from everywhere.

Even at Metropolis University, Matt Wallace was the talk of the town before Oliver showed up. Even though he was an heir to a magazine empire, Matt left Chicago because he was determined to make his own way in the world. It was actually the _Daily Planet_ that brought him to Kansas, but his mother passed away from cancer two years ago, and because he didn't trust anyone to commit the same type of effort his mother did, Matt picked up the torch and never looked back.

As for the reason she had his card, the answer was quite simple. They had shared a friendly, yet competitive camaraderie at Met U, being one and two in class rankings, but in the end, Chloe didn't mind losing to him. After all, Matt was probably the one person who came from money that she could stand.

So she dialled his number, knowing the article was still in early draft form, but she had to act quickly with this one or else she was going to lose this opportunity. Fortunately for her, she wasn't the only one avoiding Christmas break, as Matt answered on the second ring. "Chloe, have you changed you mind about coming to work here?"

Chloe shook her head before replying, "Not yet." Every time he would ask that, even when she was working at the _Daily Planet_, but the answer was the same.

There was a short silence on the line, so Matt swallowed loudly. "This isn't about your last piece getting cut, is it?"

Grinning as she stood up, Chloe closed her eyes, wanting to give them a break from the laptop. "It wasn't my best work, so I'm not mad that you changed your mind... although my wallet is a different manner." Peering back towards her screen, she could see the document staring back at her. "I have a new piece that may serve as your next cover."

"Is that so?"

Leaning against the back of her couch, Chloe smiled. "Your technology issue is next, which means you likely want some groundbreaking material. How does an exclusive with Oliver Queen on his company's most-recent innovations with a short inside profile on the man himself sound?"

Matt's eyes narrowed immediately, almost in disbelief. "You're telling me that the woman who sat next to me in university has an exclusive article on the man who doesn't give exclusives?"

Chloe laughed, despite the fact that she knew what he said was completely valid. This was a strange occurrence, but it couldn't be unheard of, right? Besides, it wasn't as if her friend was struggling either. "Says the youngest national magazine editor in the United States."

"It's a little different when it's your birthright," Matt immediately countered, as he knew that getting Oliver Queen to give more than a few quotes lately was incredible. The man would hold press conferences, sure, but to give a one-on-one like this didn't usually happen.

"Yeah, well, you worked hard for it too."

"Well, you know the drill," Matt said as he deleted a few emails, glad to hear that he had a new cover story to look forward to. "Pass the piece my way and we'll go from there." Because he knew Chloe Sullivan enough to know when she believed in something, listening to her never led to disappointment.

**~0~**

No matter what, this was their tradition. The Kent farm, pitch black skies, the three of them, sometimes with Mrs. Kent if she could take some time off, but not this year. Boyfriends and girlfriends weren't allowed, which was probably wrong considering the new year's cliché, but to the three of them, it was about family. It was a reminder that no matter what, they always had each other. And as long as they had each other, there was always a sense of hope, even when Clark and Lois would likely kiss at midnight, leaving Chloe alone. But she was fine with that, she was happy for them… and their happiness gave her hope for herself.

Because this was one year Chloe was ready to put behind her. It wasn't her best, nor was it her worst, but after months of punishing herself, Chloe had settled into a sense of normal, so she was ready to take a few steps forward.

For that was what new years were for, right? To erase the hopelessness, the frustration of the year's past. She supposed there was supposed to be an essence of celebration of the year that was, but that wasn't the case for her. Last year, she had someone's arms wrapped around her when she got home from the fireworks, but that arm faded away a few months later, while her professional life fell apart in the months that followed.

She knew there was a job in Chicago if she ever wanted to leave this place behind, and it was highly tempting. But she couldn't leave Metropolis, not yet. There was still family here, a sense of home, and that was something Chloe wasn't going to let go of that.

And so what if last year sucked? This year was going to be different, as it was going to start in the right direction with the publishing of one of the biggest pieces she had ever written. She had submitted it to Matt hours ago, and Chloe had to admit, it seemed like a damn good cover story to her.

It sounded wrong in her head, but she wanted to do it full justice. Oliver Queen of all people sought her out, he _trusted _her, and for some reason, he even saw more in Chloe than she saw in herself. Not to mention that he seemed pleased with the first draft she sent to him yesterday, the one Chloe had ripped to shreds just hours before the last draft was finalized.

Then again, who knows if he read the darn thing, but that didn't matter to her, because she was proud of the final product. It wasn't like she had to get attached to what he thought. All he did was provide her an opportunity, nothing more. Granted, it wasn't as painful as she thought, but she was ready to cut that cord.

But that thought didn't stop her from smiling as the fireworks lit the sky with various golds, greens and reds. Chloe closed her eyes momentarily, enjoying the crackle and audible explosions in the sky. Oblivious to the kiss happening across the field, she took a deep breath and enjoyed the show, knowing the only reason she was smiling was because of the hope he had given her.

Who knew that she would find a Christmas miracle in Oliver Queen?


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

"To my cuz… and the awesome fact that she just wrote a cover story for a national publication."

Clark smiled as they chinked their beer bottles together. "I'll drink to that."

Watching her cousin chug the majority of her beer, while Clark sipped it slowly, Chloe shook her head. "Thanks guys." The magazine had come out this morning, so Lois ventured early to ensure that Chloe got a fresh copy, even though Matt had already sent her a copy.

It wasn't the face she expected to see on her first national magazine cover, but she wasn't complaining. Matt was thrilled to have the piece, while Oliver was slightly impressed that she managed to get the cover herself. She remembered her smug expression upon reading that email, quick to reply and tell him that he wasn't the only one with connections.

That was supposed to be the last email she sent Oliver Queen, but that wasn't the case, as Chloe forgot that he wanted to pay her. Two ripped cheques had already been sent to the trash can, leading to an email explaining that it wasn't necessary, that she never wanted his money. To which he replied that what she did with the last one was her choice.

She had wanted to feel a little disgusted by the whole thing, because despite her circumstances, Chloe didn't see herself as destitute. The only problem with that was that he seemed to know her better than she thought, because he seemed to know that she would rip them up, or at least, only spend one. There was a small voice in her head that was convinced that he wanted to help her, but Chloe pushed it aside as she sat back in the chair, not entirely sure what she was going to do with the still-intact cheque in her desk drawer.

"I still think we should have gone out," Lois commented before downing more of her beer.

That was the original plan in Lois' mind, but Chloe quickly put her foot down, rationalizing that it was her night, ergo, they celebrate her way. Clark agreed, Lois got overruled, so here they were, and Chloe was grateful for it. The quiet was nice.

That didn't stop Chloe from recognizing the small frown on her cousin's face. "Come on Lois, this isn't so bad." Reaching to the table beside her, Chloe glanced at the phone. "Besides, with you guys here, I can turn off my phone for the evening."

Lois tilted her head, curious to that statement. "It's been ringing... hasn't it?"

"It has, but…" Chloe's voice trailed as humility kicked in, knowing that this was the regular first-day boom. There were no guarantees on any of this and the congratulations would subside with time. "It's not that big of a deal."

Clark and Lois both watched as her expression fell. Moving her gaze to her boyfriend, Lois jutted her head towards her cousin, but Clark was already one step ahead of her. "Oh come on Chloe, I think you deserve to gloat a little bit."

Looking up from the black screen on her phone to see the smiling faces across from her, Chloe couldn't help but slowly grin. They was right... she did deserve this. "I did have three calls this morning, including two high-profile options in the next quarter."

She didn't feel like mentioning that those two were personal recommendations she received from Oliver himself, as a few other companies called to hire her for similar purposes. Initally, Chloe wanted to say no, but he seemed intent on compensating her in some way, so at least this was something she was willing to use. "Things are looking up."

Chloe had always been a confident woman in Lois' eyes, but there had been a certain spark in her eyes that had been missing lately. So her eyes lit up when she noticed her cousin's confidence truly shine. "See that? That has been missing for months and it's about damn time it returned." Relaxing back in her seat, Lois took a final swig from her beer bottle. "I may not understand the man you wrote about, but he might be getting a Christmas card after giving you your big break."

"I think Chloe's work speaks for itself."

Lois glared at Clark. "She knows that I meant that too."

Holding back a laugh, Chloe shook her head. "Thank you both…again." She was about to say more when there was a knock on the door, causing her to jump.

"Are you expecting anyone?"

"No, I don't think so." Walking to the door, Chloe narrowed her eyes to look through the peephole, but the nervous face on the other side of the door was about the last person she was expecting tonight.

Opening the door, Chloe bit her bottom lip, taking note of the bottle of wine in his hand. She couldn't see much of a label, as it was covered by a bow, but Chloe knew exactly what type it was.

Before she had a chance to greet him, Jimmy beat her to it. "I see you have company, but I wanted to say congrats." Holding out the bottle to her, Jimmy tried not to look around Chloe to see if Lois' face had turned red yet. Part of him knew this was a bad idea... but he liked to think that one day, they could return to their friendship. "I hope your wine tastes haven't changed."

"No, thanks," Chloe replied, taking the bottle and grinning as she peeled off the bow to reveal the familiar house on the label. It seemed silly, but it was her parent's favourite wine, so when Chloe was of age, she immediately bought a bottle, and whenever she saw it, Chloe was always reminded of them. In this case, the taste of the wine didn't matter, although it was decent, but it seemed that was a particular detail that Jimmy hadn't forgotten.

"I'll see you around," he announced, snapping Chloe from her trace, as it didn't surprise her that he likely wanted to leave as soon as possible.

So she closed the door and walked back towards her company, taking note of the whispering taking place on her living room couch. A grin forming, Chloe said, "Thanks Clark."

Lois' head turned in curiosity. "Why is he getting thanks?"

Chuckling, Chloe sat back down in the chair across from them, placing the bottle on the table. "Because I could sense the stare at the back of my head and if not for Clark, you might have actually clobbered my ex-fiancé."

Lois had attempted to open her mouth, but Clark's hand landed on her shoulder, which effectively calmed her down. So instead, he spoke. "Have you two talked much since you left the DP?"

"No, I... actually can't remember the last time we spoke." It wasn't that her and Jimmy couldn't be in the same room, it was just that they didn't want to. He was likely still a little ashamed of how things ended, while Chloe just felt dumb for seeing all the wrong things and letting it continue. "But we're getting to a respectable place again, which is great."

"Well, it's a nice gesture," Lois said as grabbed the bottle, willing to give Jimmy that much. "Now where's your corkscrew?"

**~0~**

"Lois, this is ridiculous."

For ten minutes, Chloe had watched her cousin take control of the closet, pulling out any low-cut top she could find, or the dresses that Chloe put in her closet for self-preservation with no intention of wearing.

Unfortunately, no matter what she said, it wasn't going to sway Lois in the slightest. She had set this whole thing up a week ago, and Chloe had agreed, so there was no reason for her cousin to continue being skittish. "What is ridiculous is the fact you refuse to put yourself out there. You can't let the fallout with Jimmy run your life."

"Who says I am?"

"Almost eleven months of apathetic singledom." Lois had figured that Chloe's recent confidence boost would help, but instead, Chloe further immersed herself in her work. For the past few weeks, it was almost impossible to get more than a few words out of her cousin, so Lois had every intention of capitalizing on tonight.

It was probably that reason that Chloe knew she wasn't going to win this battle and she couldn't help but feel bad for Clark who was just outside, forced to listen to this. "Do I at least get a name?"

Glad to hear the concession, Lois was quick to comply with an answer. "Paul, he works at the _Daily Planet,_ he's hot and very excited to meet you."

"Okay," Chloe replied, staring down at the mess of clothing on her bed. There were actually some things she could work with, so she dragged her cousin out of her room and closed the door. Putting away the obviously slutty stuff, Chloe was happy that her cousin had the decency to pull out a black pencil skirt, one that she felt more than comfortable in. Combined with a fun purple top she had bought a few weeks ago... and she had a feeling it could work as a first date outfit.

Sure, unless a miracle occurred tonight, she had no intention of actually dating someone that Lois had recommended, but she did need to get out of this apartment for a reason other than to meet a source.

That didn't stop her from wanting out of this particular double date, so when she opened the door and saw Clark standing there, she couldn't help but say, "Any last minute effort to talk Lois out of this crazy idea?"

Clark shrugged lightly, as he had tried to get Lois to back off of Chloe's love life, but despite their relationship, it was too rare Clark convinced her to do anything. "You know if I could, we wouldn't be here."

Chloe sighed before grabbing her purse. "Hey, the effort's appreciated."

**~0~**

Letting her hair down, Chloe closed her eyes as the booming bass began to ring in her ears right before the elevator opened. They meant well, Chloe knew that, and she actually couldn't believe that she tried the 'sneak out the back door while pretending to use the bathroom' trick, but it was a last resort after a first date to forget. If you could even call it that.

Paul was good looking; Chloe would give him that, but not much else. He talked too much for her taste and he didn't seem to really care about what Chloe thought about any subject. After a while, it was clear Lois set this up to be a one-and-done fling, but Chloe wasn't up for that tonight. The only real reason Chloe had agreed to go was because she figured that Lois would back off, but even that wasn't a strong enough reason now. And even though the Ace of Clubs probably wasn't the best pit stop, there was a familiar face here, one that she was grateful to see working tonight.

Ian was her favourite bartender in the city, which unfortunately led him to abandoning his prior pub gig for the clichéd club establishment. Chloe couldn't blame him, as it paid five times what he was making before, but his replacement was terrible, so Chloe had to suck up the company if it meant getting her drink the way she liked it.

Taking a seat at one of the stools at the bar, she called out, "Ian," smiling as he found her eyes, "One of the usuals."

He nodded before obliging her across the bar. "What brings you by?"

"Ditched a blind date." She could see Ian inches from laughing, as he knew her well enough to know how much Chloe loved being set up. "Before you judge, I was also practically babysat by Lois and to a lesser extent, Clark."

Ian nodded, as he knew Lois and her ways just as well. Back at the pub, the elder cousin wasn't exactly subtle towards her disapproval of Chloe's long-term relationship and once she was single again, Lois tried to set her up with any guy she could find. Placing the drink down, he said, "First drink's on the house."

"You're the best."

Looking up, Ian's eyes narrowed as he was given a familiar signal from the other side of the club. He wanted to act more surprised, but instead he returned to his conversation with Chloe. "I gotta say though, coming here, not your best solution to that problem."

"True," Chloe replied with a sigh as she tilted her drink. "But I can hold my own and they'll never look here for me." Glancing in Ian's direction, she caught what seemed to be a pensive expression, which made her wonder what exactly was going on. "Is everything okay?"

He could lie, but Ian knew better than to mess with Sullivan-Lane women. "I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Oliver Queen just gave me the signal that all of your drinks are on his tab." Seeing her eyes widen, Ian shrugged lightly, trying to make sense of it himself. "He must have really liked that article."

Placing her palm on the top of her head, Chloe closed her eyes, wondering why this of all things was happening to her. All she wanted to do was write an article, couldn't he learn to leave her alone like any other human being? "Meanwhile, I'm beginning to regret writing the piece altogether."

"If that's the case, then don't turn around," Ian said before moving to help another customer.

After a dry laugh, Chloe glanced over her shoulder and oddly enough, it was disappointment she felt when their eyes met. The sight in front of her had all of the making of a tabloid cover. The signature grin, the girls trying to get his attention, but it was always elsewhere. Rolling her eyes, she turned back around, polishing her first drink slowly, yet always feeling like she was being stared at.

Pulling back her stool, she turned fully and sure enough, he was_ still_ staring at her. Part of Chloe wanted to walk away, to let him live in his hypocrisy. Then his eyes finally moved off her, leading Chloe to watch Oliver play up the image while his words echoed in her head. Downing the rest of her glass, Chloe slammed it down on the table, wondering if for a few hours, he had gotten her to drink the kool-aid, because the two... didn't match up.

Tilting her empty glass for Ian to see, he quickly came over to top up her drink. Pulling some bills from her wallet, Chloe put them down on the counter, knowing that Ian would tease her about that, but she stopped him. "Do me a favour, don't listen to him."

"Or else what?" The voice was quickly followed by money being placed straight into Ian's hands, leading the bartender to give a quick shrug as he accepted the money. Chloe soon grabbed hers back in frustration, knowing that dealing with Lois would probably be better than dealing with Oliver Queen again.

Only he placed his hand on the small of her back, keeping her from getting up. "No need to run off; I'm just getting a round of shot." Sure enough, Ian lined up a round of shot glasses and passed the tray to Oliver when he was finished. "Not everything is about you, Chloe Sullivan... although I do see why you come here." Nodding to Ian before he tipped him generously, Oliver paused momentarily before he walked away. "Oh, and don't forget to pay for that drink."

He might have been tempted to pay before, but her message had been clearly sent through her emails during the past few weeks. He did say that he wanted to _hire _her, but she quickly informed him that each cheque he had sent to her post office box had been promptly ripped up. In other words: _Thanks, but no thanks. _Combine that with her clear apprehension to his presence tonight, Oliver knew better than to push his luck on helping her. Or at least, that was before she spoke again.

"Just make sure keep your eyes focused." He looked over his shoulder to see that Chloe had rotated herself to sit facing him now, legs crossed. "You may have easy company, but even they don't like to be ignored," she had added, but Oliver's eyes were focusing elsewhere. It wasn't the first time he had seen Chloe's legs before, as the woman was clearly a fan of pencil skirts, but this time, it was almost as if they were on display for him. Unfortunately, he knew if he stared much longer, he'd be served faster than he could blink, and the last thing he needed was a pointless lawsuit... or a black eye if she decided to take matters in her own hands.

So, much to Chloe's relief, he started to walk away, as she had held a strong front while he gazed at her, but every fibre of her wanted to bang her head against the counter, wondering where that had come from. That wasn't her at all.

Sure, this was Oliver Queen and this was hardly the first or the last time a woman would call him on his reputation. In fact, he seemed to survive by it. But she didn't want to talk to him anymore, and now that he had left, Chloe reminded herself that she really didn't want to go home just yet either. So Chloe put her money back down for Ian and moved from her place at the bar, settling at a table near the window.

There was a small part of her that still felt bad for bailing on Lois and Clark, with a text being the only indication that she was okay. Her phone was off, so it was just her, sipping a drink as she took in the dark skyline in front of her, music buzzing all around her.

It was the normal club fare, loud, obnoxious and repetitive, but it was enough to allow Chloe to shut off the world and just look outside for awhile, relax even. But that feeling didn't last long as she felt someone standing behind her and it didn't long for Chloe to realize who it was.

Crossing his arms as he caught her eyes when she saw his reflection in the window, Oliver said, "What was that all about?"

She wasn't trying anything, truthfully she wasn't. In fact, Chloe had no idea why she practically baited him five minutes ago, so for this reason, she feigned innocence. "I'm not sure that I follow."

Unfortunately, Oliver wasn't buying it for one second. He knew that Chloe Sullivan was a woman who calculated her moves carefully. There always was a motive, life had taught him that. "Just answer me this Miss Sullivan, because it's not every day I have the opportunity to be the one to ask the questions. What do you want?"

Raising her glass, tipping it back, Chloe knew that her next words had to be right. Only she was coming up with nothing but blanks.

"I was merely pointing out the fact that you looked bored," she blurted, regretting it the moment it left her. Staring at her glass, Chloe knew she didn't have that much to drink, but maybe it was getting to her head faster than usual.

A slow smile formed on Oliver's face. "And you put it upon yourself to save me, is that it?"

After putting down her glass, Chloe stared right at him. At this point, she knew that the only way out of this was to let her frustration out. "Don't you get tired of always being that easy? Aren't you tired of this defining who you are?" His eyes widened momentarily, but besides that, she could only see the dumb confusion on his face. "I mean... you cornered me and asked to write the article so that your private life was out of the public eye and yet you continue to do it."

Bowing her head, she took a deep breath and tried to re-find her composure. "I'm not saying I'm not grateful for the exclusive, because business is booming, but do you enjoy being a hypocrite?"

Leaning down so his elbows rested on the table, Oliver tilted his head carefully as the space between them had decreased significantly. "Are you trying to say that you're some sort of challenge?" He watched her scoff, so he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "Because if you recall, we've already slept together."

Despite the fact that she was trying to repress the shiver that was threatening to show, Chloe was still revolted by his insinuation. But that didn't seem to hold, as his breath faintly colliding with her cheek was distracting her. It appeared that as much as she wanted to forget everything that happened between them, that clearly hadn't happened yet.

But it would, it was inevitable, so she brought her eyes up to him once more, strength unwavering in her stare. "I'm not a challenge; I'm not anything to you. I'm just suggesting that you to shoot for something different."

And with that, the confusion was back, every inch of it, causing Oliver to take a step back and sit down at the chair next to her. "Why?" For the majority of her journalistic career, Chloe Sullivan had clearly portrayed a critical side towards him. That was only part of the reason that he wanted her for the article, but he never expected the indirect praise she gave him in the article and tonight. It came with the usual snark, the slightly constructive wording, but overall... it was positive.

It was that reason that Chloe didn't want to answer that question. Because part of her wanted to feel smug over the confusion, as she was beginning to wonder just how many people had called him on his bullshit, but that didn't mean that wanted to connect the dots aloud to him. "Because you have more to offer this world than a killer grin."

His face already gave his surprise away, so fortunately that sentence didn't have as much visual effect as it could have. "That's it?" He pushed her chair towards her, trying to turn the confidence tables back in his direction, as this wasn't a position he was used to. "A grin."

Chloe smiled, figuring that she might as well keep digging at this point, especially considering how much she had admitted already. "I do suppose that you're... _adequate _in other areas," she said seductively with a quick glance down.

Oliver's eyes narrowed as he leaned closer. "Are you _trying_ to bruise my ego?"

As she exhaled, Chloe turned her head towards where she had seen Oliver before. "If what I'm saying doesn't appeal to you... you can go back to the models. They will be more than willing to chip it back up." His previous company had moved onto some other slightly important person, as her unfortunate earlier outburst was happening right in front of their eyes. Crossing her legs, she leaned back in her chair and shook her head. "But no matter how many women you sleep with Oliver, sooner or later, you'll realize... not everyone can be bought with money, sex or a smile."

At this point, he was supposed to have a retort, something to continue their banter, but Oliver was just... stunned. Somewhere deep down, there was a part of Chloe Sullivan that actually saw something worthwhile in him. She was definitely embarrassed, as a light pink hue came across her cheeks, but it disappeared quickly as she got the stool.

"Goodnight Oliver."

He was tempted to follow her, but she had clearly said her peace. Besides, it wasn't long before he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Sorry man, but there's challenges and there's _'never gonna happen.' _Even for you."

Turning around, Oliver smiled as he acknowledged his friend. "You made it."

"You think I'd miss out on the opportunity to celebrate my freedom?"

"Hal, I am sorry... about you and Carol."

"Don't be," Hal replied, smacking his friend's back as his eyes followed the path of his friend's former company. "But seriously? Chloe Sullivan? Even before the article, that's pretty bold."

"It worked once before," Oliver said without thinking, as like her, he had never mentioned that they actually did sleep together.

And he couldn't exactly blame Hal's reaction to that statement. "Bullshit."

The problem was that Oliver didn't hear it, as he continued talking absentmindedly. "That night, something really had to be off." He knew she was a little south of tipsy that night, but there was clearly more to that story than he thought.

Hal's eyes widened, partially because Oliver was actually telling the truth, but also in his friend's behaviour to that fact. "And you're trying to figure out _why_?"

"Course not," Oliver lied, his attention finally returning to his friend, as Oliver didn't want to admit that it was much bigger than that. For right now, Oliver was actually trying to figure _her _out.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

_"But no matter how many women you sleep with Oliver, sooner or later, you'll realize... not everyone can be bought with money, sex or a smile."_

Gulping his water down, Oliver stared ahead at the wall, trying to get that sentence out of his head. Last night, he had pushed his confusion and frustration aside for the sake of being Hal's wingman. And from the expression of the blonde woman walking through the hallway, it was a successful night. Then again, that could also just be the usual gush that Oliver received. But despite the temptation to roll his eyes, he politely waved from his kitchen and listened to the light squeal she gave before continuing towards the elevator.

That was the reaction he used to from woman, or at least, it was one of them. He either got a slap to the face or goo-goo eyes and high-pitched noises. For years, Oliver had a default setting for each reaction, but last night, Oliver had hardly slept because Chloe Sullivan had gotten under his skin.

If nothing else, he always figured that their first time together would be the ace up his sleeve, but Chloe had an answer for that too. For even though she was slightly fazed by the mention, she didn't let it deter her from her objective, leaving Oliver to re-live that night in his head instead... which led to a _very_ cold shower this morning.

And now his throat was dry again.

Filling up his glass, Oliver downed it almost immediately, knowing the liquid wasn't helping because he couldn't remember the last time a woman had gotten to him like this. It wasn't about the fact that she said _No_, it wasn't her job title, her looks or anything overly superficial. It was just… something else about her that Oliver couldn't put his finger on. But he intended on figuring that out.

Turning, Oliver saw Hal standing near the fruit bowl, tossing an apple up in the air. "You want to talk about it?"

Oliver narrowed his eyes before asking, "Talk about what?"

"About the fact you struck out last night." Hal replied before throwing the apple to Oliver.

After catching the projectile, Oliver took a bite from the apple. "Last night was about you." He then walked past Hal to properly begin his morning routine. "Didn't really see the need to outdo you or anything. Not every night has to be a competition."

Hal took a grand total of two steps before stopping in place to call out, "Which leads to the one that _did _get away."

Oliver had seen this conversation coming since last night, so he reacted calmly, placing the apple down and replacing it with one of his weights. "If you're talking about Chloe Sullivan, she didn't _get away_, we just talked. End of story."

Agitated tone combined with averted eye contact was an interesting approach for Oliver to take, because he had to know that Hal wouldn't buy it. Besides, since when did he _just talk_ with a woman? "Please don't tell me that you're in deeper than you seem right now. Because no offence, the chances of her ever getting to know the real you... probably slim."

Oliver rolled his eyes almost immediately. "Hal, this is me we're talking about. Even if I was interested, which I'm not, when have I ever had time for a relationship?"

He had a point there, as the only relationships Hal had seen led to Oliver completely burning the bridge, maybe even on purpose. Then again, that answer wasn't an easy one because it was way more expensive to see Oliver since he moved to Metropolis.

So Hal replied, "I don't know, it was a lot easier keeping track when you were in California." And while he understood Oliver's reasoning for coming here initially, "You know, you haven't explained to me why you're still here."

"I have," Oliver countered, "The problem is you don't accept my answer."

His expression falling, Hal stepped in front of his friend, not wanting that to be his real answer. "You can't be still punishing yourself for prep school." When Oliver didn't have an response, he put down his dumbbell and walked away, leaving Hal no choice but to add, "You saved that place and I know you've done plenty of good behind the scenes. If you can't forgive yourself after all this time, you never will."

Staring down at his hands, Oliver knew there wasn't any blood on them, nor was there any on that day, but that memory was one he couldn't shake. "Maybe that's for the best."

"Okay, seriously, what did that woman _say _to you last night?"

Oliver laughed, turning sideways to look back at Hal. "That I'm a hypocrite."

Hal shrugged a shoulder, knowing that he had been called worse before. "Well, that's not too –"

"And that I had more to give the world than a grin."

"Wait," Hal said quickly, his eyebrows furrowing, "That's a good thing."

"Yeah... it is," Oliver replied, as therein lay the problem, but he had every intention of sorting this matter out.

**~0~**

"I really don't see the big deal is," Lois said, her phone cradled in her ear, with Chloe on the line, complaining about how she crossed some proverbial line or something.

_Oh, how to explain this_, Chloe thought as she leaned against the door of her apartment. "Lois, you gave him my _address_." Granted, it could have been much worse, _he _could have showed up, but there was always going to be that idea in her head.

"He's trying to pay you," Lois rationalized, knowing that considering Chloe's situation, she shouldn't be refusing money, "but he says the post office box you gave him isn't working." So he came by the _Daily Planet_, to ask Lois for Chloe's address. It seemed harmless enough, and even if it wasn't, Mr. Queen was an easy man to sue, so Lois gave in.

Unfortunately, Lois didn't know that the third cheque Oliver had sent was still intact. Looking around her apartment, Chloe had half a mind to tell her cousin what she had caused, because he knew damn well that the post office box was working and what he sent wouldn't fit in one. It was also something she couldn't return very easily, so that would appease him if nothing else. But Lois could never find out about this particular delivery because her relationship ears would perk up. So Chloe bit her tongue, calculating which neighbours could help her out.

"Well, next time when Oliver Queen comes with a cheque...take it yourself."

Pausing in her typing, Lois leaned back in her chair, recapping the events in her head. "Come on, cuz, so he has your address and he sent you payment. Seriously, what am I missing here?"

_Everything._

Only that was an answer Chloe couldn't admit out loud, so she sighed. "It's nothing Lois. I'll see you later."

Hanging up the phone, Chloe sighed again as she looked at the various assortment of flowers that took up her entire kitchen table and a few of her coffee tables. It was overkill, but she supposed that he knew that. Oliver didn't even try to hide that it was him, not that Chloe would know anyone else that would send her flowers like this. His name wasn't on the card, but the message gave him away, as it simply read: _Thanks for the article._

And see, if she had received these flowers last week, heck, three days ago, she would have bought that line. But two nights ago, she had walked away from him, hoping that was going to be goodbye. Unfortunately, he wasn't taking the hint, so she pulled his business card out, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

But as she dialled the number, Chloe felt herself hesitate. This is exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to get angry, to call him. All this time, they had corresponded via email, meaning he didn't have her cell phone number.

_Nice try Oliver, _she thought with a smirk, deciding that it was best to just let this die. If he showed up at her apartment, she could slap him with a restraining order and this time, the high road was the best option. So she dropped the cards on the table, only to hear a knock on her door. Approaching it, Chloe was slightly hesitant in answering it, as for all she knew, there was going to be a personal parade outside her door.

Fortunately, it was just her elderly neighbour from next door, a green thumb at heart, so Chloe's eyes lit up, knowing she could easily take some of these bouquets. "Mrs. Yates, how are things?"

"They're great."

"And Clarence, how is he?"

She smiled before replying, "Fifty years of marriage and he can't put down the toilet seat... but I still love him." Reaching forward, Mrs. Yates took Chloe's hand before her smile widened. "But I just wanted to stop by and say... I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Chloe replied, although she wasn't exactly sure why.

"That Jimmy boy took too much of your time sweetheart, and it's about time you found someone who appreciates you for everything you are."

Chloe's eyes immediately widened. "Oh, you mean the flowers? That's..."

"The whole floor's talking about it. You know, a little romance is a good thing for you."

That wasn't what Chloe needed or wanted to hear right now, not even close. "No, seriously Mrs. Yates, I'm not in a relationship."

"Sure you're not, sweetie." With a grin, Mrs. Yates began walking back to her apartment. Her pace was slow, so she expected her young neighbour to follow her. That's why she stopped in front of her door to look back at Chloe. "Oh, and don't worry about keeping the noise down when he's here. We can always turn off our hearing aids."

When her neighbour's door closed, Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to kill him. Slowly, painfully, and likely cutting off his favourite appendage in the process, but he was dead.

The last thing she wanted was to be watercooler fodder at her building. She loved her neighbours, but she also knew that they loved their gossip. Sure, this whole thing would die off, but because of that, everywhere she looked in her apartment, all she could see... was him. So she screwed the consequences and gave in, calling his cell number. This was stopping once and for all today. No more excuses.

Hearing the click to notify her that he had answered her call, Chloe wasted little time greeting him. "Flowers? Really?"

Staring down at his paperwork, Oliver grinned as he recognized her voice. "Chloe, hi."

The smugness was clear in his response, but Chloe didn't want to goad him any more than she had to. "You can't be that starved for a woman's attention that you sink yourself to pretending to be a gentleman."

"Who says I'm pretending?" he said innocently, knowing that this call was coming, so he was well-prepared for any jabs she would send his way. "You're not accepting anything else I try to give you as compensation."

It was a decent acting job, but Chloe could read through the bullshit in his voice. "You and I both know this isn't about the article, so cut the crap." Looking at the bouquets on her kitchen table, she couldn't help but shake her head. "Last I checked, if you're successful in seducing a woman, you don't care about the morning after. Or the successive months after. As long as they don't give you an STI or offspring, you carry on your merry way."

"Not always," Oliver clarified as he got up from his desk to ensure that his office door was closed. When the door clicked shut, he walked across the room to the window, staring intently at the Metropolis skyline. "Do you ever wonder how it is our paths keep crossing?"

_Every single freakin' day._

Because even though he had gone out of his way to ensure they stayed in contact, in the past three months, there had been more coincidental encounters than she wanted to admit. But she settled on a truth she could tell, "I try to think about you as little as possible."

A safe response, albeit not an actual answer, but Oliver let it go. "Well, _I've_ been thinking about it... and I've realized that this is kind of the ideal situation. We're both single people, not looking for a relationship, but...we still have needs."

Chloe scoffed, as it appeared he didn't take her words too seriously the other night, not that it surprised her, but he wasn't about to have much success with that offer. "Hate to burst your bubble, but I have higher standards than a billionaire playboy."

"Like what?"

Blinking, Chloe put a hand behind her to grab the back of her couch. That caught her off-guard more than she wanted to admit. "Excuse me?"

After a dry chuckle, Oliver clarified, "What are your standards?"

"No offence," Chloe replied with a laugh of her own, "but you're the... second-last person I'd ever tell."

Oliver's mouth opened as he took a step back, slightly amused by her response. "Well, it's good that you like me more than Lex."

"That's not an accomplishment."

"Actually it is." Especially considering the source, as not only would it not take much for Luthor to buy off most of the press in the city, but she also seemed to have a decent sense of character. "Not many see him for what he actually is."

That took years to figure out, but such were the consequences of befriending the guy in high school and seeing him turn into his father. "Even if that's true, it's because people are blinded by his status and perceived power in this city. In particular, with one bouquet of flowers, a guy's faults can go out the window."

"You're really subtle."

"And I know you're smarter than this," Chloe immediately fired back, taking a seat on her couch, trying to get this conversation back on track. "What makes you think that I would ever agree to that offer?"

To her, this was likely a valid question, but as Oliver had already admitted, he had thought this through. Hal was right, Chloe would never really want to talk with him again, but there was this... thing that seemed to follow them around. And Oliver knew that she felt it too.

So this way, they got what they wanted. A night away from the torrential downpour of work, but no overall attachments. There were also some additional benefits for her. "This would save you the time in dressing up in the outfits you can't stand and dealing with insufferable company. Might also save you from your friends worrying about you not having a social life."

"Because you're _so _much better." He _may_ have been right about Lois and Clark worrying about her, but this solution wasn't one that even Lois would condone past the point they had already crossed.

But Oliver just shrugged before replying, "That's up to you."

Silence filled the air for a few seconds, his words sinking in as Chloe realized that he was making the offer, but he was by no means pushing it. That left one important question for her to ask. "Why me?"

"I'm taking your advice... my way. And you were also adequate in certain areas."

Her breath hitched when she heard that, as she was unsure what he truly meant by that. He had to know that she was just teasing him at the club, that it was an underestimation of his... _skills_. So did that mean that he was doing the same?

_Get a grip, Sullivan, you don't care what he thinks._

Snapping from that unfortunate trance, Chloe leaned back on the couch, relaxing in her position. "I don't know, it's not like I grew up wanting to be someone's booty call."

"I'd be yours too," was his confidence response, something that threw Chloe a bit, as he almost seemed _content_ with that idea.

But that didn't matter to Chloe, the whole idea was a terrible one. "Well, I think I'm going to have to pass."

_Well, it was worth a shot_, he thought, but at least the ball was in her court now. "You have my number if you change your mind." With that, he hung up, leaving Chloe sitting on her couch, wondering if that phone conversation really just happened.

**~0~**

Sitting at Lois' desk, Chloe waited patiently for her cousin, who she thought was supposed to be here right now. Sure, she was five minutes early for their dinner plans, but her cousin gave her no indication that she was running late. Not that she normally did, but even Clark was nowhere to be found in the bullpen, which led to Chloe fidgeting as time ticked by.

A minute later, a familiar face entered the bullpen, just not the one that she overly wanted to talk to here. But it beat all of the crazy theories forming in her head, so Chloe got off from the desk and waved at him. Smiling, he walked over.

"Chloe, how are things?"

"They're great Jimmy," Chloe replied. "Have you seen Lois?"

Jimmy nodded before looking over his shoulder. "We just finished an interview, but she should be back soon. I think she's just running an err –"

"Are you ready to go?" another voice interjected, a woman who's eyes widened upon seeing Chloe standing there. "Hi."

Chloe was stunned as she stared at the other woman. Her presence didn't surprise her, no, it was the ring on her finger. And not just any ring, but the _exact _one she had worn not that long ago.

_Seriously?_

Biting her tongue to keep herself from losing her cool, Chloe took a deep breath. How could Jimmy do this? He was the furthest thing from impulsive and usually he was the most considerate person he knew, but eleven months apparently was enough time between taking an engagement ring from one woman's finger and placing it on another.

Jimmy sensed her frustration, in fact he had expected it. But then again, he had also hoped to tell her first. Turning to his fiancé, he asked calmly, "Karen, can you give us a minute?"

Karen left without a word, knowing the conversation ahead wasn't going to be easy. When she was out of hearing range, Chloe shook her head before breaking her silence. "I... didn't realize it was that serious."

Swallowing hard, Jimmy dipped his head, almost embarrassed. This wasn't the way he wanted this to happen. "It's okay, right? It's not too soon?"

It hurt her to do it, but Chloe found a way to nod. "Jimmy, we came to an understanding regarding our relationship. We made the right call and I'm not about to stop you if you've found someone but... I'm likely not going to the wedding."

"I doubted that you would want to come." Looking over his shoulder at Karen, he felt the pit in his stomach lighten slightly, but he knew that Chloe was letting him off easier than she wanted. "Sorry to cut this short, but I've got to go. I'm only here to drop off my camera and to –"

"I won't hold you up," Chloe interjected, not really wanting this conversation to continue anyways. "Congratulations Jimmy, I... hope you can find happiness this time."

"Thanks Chloe."

The sad part was that she meant every word. She wanted happiness for him, but as he turned around and saw his fiancé, the saccharine in the air almost made Chloe sick, causing her to collapse down, barely managing to sit down at the desk behind her. At this point, she had no idea whose desk it was, but she honestly didn't give a damn. All she could focus on was the sight in front of her, no matter how much she wanted to look away.

She should have seen this coming; it was the way her life worked. One step forward, eight steps backwards. Downing her coffee faster than she usually did, Chloe walked back to Lois' desk to grab the one she had bought for Lois, tempted to throw it against her laptop. Her cousin had to know, because Jimmy was as far from subtle as a person could get when he was happy. Well, at least that was the case when he was genuinely happy as opposed to settling. Regardless, Lois always seemed to know these kinds of things, so she...

Of course, that stupid double date. Lois just wanted to give her someone to soften the blow. With that realization, Chloe chugged the second coffee, not wanting to waste it, nor the money she spent getting it. Unfortunately, sitting here wasn't helping, as she could see a few people staring at her across the bullpen as she tossed the cup in the garbage.

Almost a year had passed, yet the feeling was still the same. Chloe didn't normally care what people thought about her, but this... this brought up memories that she had tried to bury and she couldn't stay here another second.

Gathering her things, Chloe headed towards the door, but right when she was about to open it, Lois entered the bullpen and noticed her cousin's presence. Stopping in place, Lois did a quick glance at her phone. "I swear I'm not late this time."

"Raincheck Lois." Chloe bit her tongue as she continued towards the exit, walking past her cousin. "I can't tonight."

"Why not?"

Shaking her head, she turned on her spot and found her cousin's eyes. "Because you knew about Jimmy and I... just can't, not tonight."

Lois should have known. Whenever Chloe had found a victory lately, Jimbo had found a way to bring her down, even if it was unintentional. Lois had hoped he would talk to her sooner, but apparently, things hadn't gone according to plan. "He wanted to tell you himself."

Chloe scoffed as she pressed the elevator button. "The _one _time you listen to him."

It was something Lois was regretting as each second passed. The whole reason she listened to him was because Chloe seemed to be doing better and Lois figured she could give her love life a break, especially after the double date fiasco earlier this week. "Come on cuz, it's not like you were still in love with him. I didn't think you'd care."

"I don't," Chloe confirmed, but that wasn't the point. Everyone told her that she was settling for him, that she was destined for better things, yet she was the messed-up one in the fallout. She was still finding her feet with the social calendar the size of a post-it note, while he was undoubtedly happy and settled professionally.

Seeing her cousin frown, Lois tried to reassure her by grabbing her shoulder. "C'mon, I'll institute a full-girls night tonight... and possibly tomorrow."

"No," Chloe replied as she shook off Lois' hand to get in the elevator when it arrived. "I... there's somewhere I have to be."

"How? We had plans."

Pressing the close door button, Chloe said, "Something came up." Fortunately, Lois let her go, leading to Chloe grabbing her phone from her purse as the elevator descended. Looking through her call history, there was one number that stood out and while before Chloe never wanted to call it again, it seemed to be the only remedy she had for what she was feeling right now.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

As she started down the street, Chloe stared at her phone, knowing that this was crazy, yet she still found the courage to dial his number and not hang up when he picked up. Only instead of letting him talk, she said quickly, "What are you doing right now?"

Narrowing his eyes as her voice filled his ears, Oliver had completely missed the words she had said. "Chloe?" He had blindly grabbed his phone from his pocket, so he hadn't had the chance to read the caller ID. Even if he did, she was about the last phone call he expected.

She exhaled loudly as her pace picked up. "Are you home or what?"

"Yeah," he replied, just as he walked out of the elevator. In fact, he had just gotten back driving Hal to the airport after his trip got cut short.

Closing her eyes, Chloe realized it was best to cut to the chase. "Against my better judgement, I've changed my mind. But you're not allowed to ask why." She also wanted to add that it was only for tonight, but he replied too quickly.

"When can I expect you?"

Sighing, Chloe stared up at her destination, momentarily losing her breath as she stopped walking. Was she really about to do this? Was she really about to be that girl? Because even though he initiated this, even though it was clear that for some reason he _wanted _her, it still didn't sit right with Chloe.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized how much she needed this, that oddly enough, she wanted him too. "I'm about a block away," she finally replied.

"Then I'll see you soon," Oliver said before hanging up, still quite surprised. Opening his laptop, he considered the idea that this was some sort of trick, but within a few minutes, she got inside of the elevator, glancing up at the camera in the corner for him to let her up. He did so and walked towards the entryway, ready for her when she arrived.

It had been a few days since she had flatly declined him, and while Oliver had known to expect women to change their minds, for some reason, he had a feeling that Chloe Sullivan was done with him. But she initiated this phone call, she was coming to him. So while his body reacted with anticipation for her arrival, Oliver could almost sense that he was feeling something else, but he tossed that aside the moment the elevator stopped.

Once the door opened up, her fingers curled around the gate, pulling it back with ease. Chloe took a deep breath as she stared at him from the elevator. His gaze was hungry, so she stepped outside, dropping her coat to the floor, kicking off her shoes. True, she probably could have used the couple of extra inches, but the rational part of her brain had shut off the moment they had locked eyes tonight.

She moved her head to look back up at him, just in time to see Oliver's hand grasp her neck, tilting her chin up to kiss him, which felt better than she remembered. It was a simple act, yet it still ignited her almost immediately, leading to her fingers gripping his hair, trying to reduce the vertical distance between them.

His lips were hard, chapped even she could sense, but Chloe was far from a complaining party as it didn't take much for Chloe to allow the kiss to deepen. Oliver's tongue massaged the inside of her mouth and she let a moan escape her, while feeling his other hand pressed hard against her back.

Moving it down slowly, Oliver undid the zipper and slid her skirt down her legs. Chloe stepped out of it, but with his hand still in place, Oliver pushed her back towards him to collide chest-to-chest. It was close enough for Chloe feel his hardness already, which made her smirk inside. But she didn't have enough time to follow through with her reaction, as Oliver lifted her up before she had time to think. She did, however, have enough time to lock her ankles behind his back before their lips met again.

It was probably a good thing that he lifted her up, because Chloe had felt her legs weakening. She would never admit that outright to him, but there was a reason that she changed her mind, because Lois was right. She needed a fling, something meaningless, and who better than the man who lived his life through flings? That... and it was safe to say that he was more than adequate in certain areas.

Reaching forward, Chloe tugged at Oliver's shirt and he helped her get it over his head, prompting him to remove his belt as his shirt hit the floor. But as he met her eyes once more, Oliver felt distracted, so he rotated them so her back collided hard against the wall. He noticed her lose her breath momentarily, but it didn't last, as she pulled his head towards hers, kissing him hard, unaware of the fact his hand was about to be placed on the inside of her thigh.

He glided his hand up slowly, feeling the wetness of her panties before moving further. As his finger entered her, Chloe bit down slightly on Oliver's lip, her moan muffled slightly by the way the kiss maintained. It was probably best, because she didn't want him to hear anything that she had to say. However, her body betrayed her, as her head snapped back and she cried out as he picked up the pace.

_Oh... god..._

It was just his finger, and Chloe wondered how on earth she had hesitated. It wasn't as if he propositioned everyone he met and... and somehow he seemed to target places she didn't even know were sensitive.

There was only one problem as far as Oliver was concerned, staring at her still-clothed upper-body. Don't get him wrong, the blouse did her body every favour, but he was much more interested in her natural curves underneath. But he could sense that she was close and considering this was only happening because she changed her mind, he wasn't about to piss her off either. Not only that, but he actually enjoyed watching her reactions, hearing the noises that came from her lips. Unfortunately, that caused a reaction in more than one place, as the increasing tightness in his pants was just one other reason to allow his cock to become a more participatory aspect of this interaction.

When she did come, he moved her from the wall, pacing carefully through the hallway to head towards his bedroom, all while undoing the buttons on her shirt with one hand. The last one came undone right before he reached the edge of the mattress, so the shirt easily moved down her arms as she fell to the mattress.

Then, with one swift move, Oliver swiped the shirt from underneath her like someone who removed a tablecloth while there were still dishes on the table. An impressive trick when done properly, but it didn't leave a sight better than the one before Oliver's eyes right now.

Dropping her shirt, Oliver made a mental note of how he didn't remember just how beautiful the lines of her body were. She was _tiny_, but everything was there. Well, almost.

"Take it off," he told Chloe, his eyes staring hard at the outline of her nipples showing through the cotton bra that covered her breasts.

She initially didn't react, so Oliver lowered his mouth down to her belly, trailing kisses as he worked his way down, his hands sliding beneath her underwear before he snapped the top against her skin, causing Chloe to yelp. She was also surprised that he took the time to remove her underwear this time, so Chloe leaned up and unclasped her bra, his eyes gleaming as her breasts came in his view.

But there was something he wanted to do first, so he disposed of his boxers, his voice deep as he broke the silence once more. "Are you... "

"On the pill?" Chloe interjected impatiently, even though he had already made her come already. "Yeah." And soon enough, satisfaction filled her senses as she felt the tip against her inner thigh, causing her to bite her lip as she was reminded of how tight she was last time.

He seemed to catch the gesture, including a hitch of her breath as he pushed a little further. "Am I...?"

"Just... keep... going." Chloe knew that she was tight, because it had been way too long since she had sex. Even the months since their last encounter appeared to have been enough time. That didn't mean that her muscle memory wasn't giving her flashbacks, as even the teasing way the tip lay at her entrance was enough for her to lose her breath momentarily. And he wasn't about to give her breath back to her easily, as he had apparently decided the best approach was to rip off the band-aid. Or in this case, thrust inside of her as hard and fast as humanly possible.

Because this wasn't about care, there was no warm and fuzzy feelings around this act. No, this was about needs, about forgetting their problems, and if her reaction was anything to go by, he had made the right call.

After all, she didn't want him to take it easy on her. Even if her vulnerability was high, Chloe wasn't some delicate flower, some innocent dove. She had done this before, even if she hadn't felt like this before. But she managed to catch up and keep up, which seemed to be working as a groan escaped from him.

It was this moment that Oliver realized how much better this felt without alcohol involved. Their first time, he was just a guy, but tonight, she wanted _him_. Tonight, she had let go enough to actually cry out his name, she had dug into his skin _literally _this time, as there would undoubtedly be marks on his back for the next little while.

Of course, that likely came from the genuine anger running through her veins, as her lack of hesitance had seemed to replace the resistance which had been present at least until this morning. She had taken charge, even from underneath him, her leg hitched up to his waist, her hips keeping with his rhythm. Soon enough it was him saying her name, a reaction that brought a sly grin to her face. When their eyes met once more, her upper body arched as his fingers curled under her back, her insistence more apparent with each thrust, her climax fast approaching, and his not likely far behind.

When it came, she completely let go, a quiet yet harsh breath escaping her as she relaxed underneath him, ecstasy in her eyes. It was a look Oliver had seen before, but before, it wasn't because of the fact that he had provided a service to her, it was because in that moment, there was just simple satisfaction… and something about that pushed Oliver over the edge, his eyes never leaving hers.

As his high was ending, Oliver thought about initiating another round, as it was easy to see that she needed this and he had every intention of following through. Oliver wanted to know what being with him would be like, what his offer would really entail, and the things he could make her feel.

Never did it cross his mind _why_ he wanted to convince her so badly, but once his mouth descended on her breast, causing her to cry out, that little detail really didn't matter to him anymore.

**~0~**

Pulling out of her, Oliver fell back onto the other side of the bed, looking towards her as they both breathed hard. "Well?" he managed, as he watched her carefully.

Laughing softly, Chloe admitted, "Your theory isn't bad." There truly was something about just having sex that brought something out of her that she hadn't expected. The whole time, she had forgotten about her frustration and even better yet, _he _seemed to enjoy it, which was a nice confidence boost for her. After all, he could have any girl he wanted.

But Chloe knew that she had to get out of here before he got any ideas. It was still early, so she could go home, have a long shower, reconsider where the heck her life was going. Basic stuff.

So she picked up her bra from the floor, ready to leave when she heard him moving on the mattress. "So is this a one-time thing... or...?"

He just had to beat her to it, didn't he? Here she was, ready to address the same thing back to him, but with every word that left his lips, Chloe felt a pit in her stomach build, reminding her that the last time she tried to forgot this didn't work so well. In fact, she figured it would be a while before everything was out of her system.

Oliver tried to gauge her silence as a positive sign, for even though she continued to act as if she never heard him, words went a long way with Chloe. He was tempted to touch her, to pull her down and convince her to a full night of fun, as it would make up the way she left him hanging a at the Ace of Clubs, but he let her be, even as she clasped her bra and put on her underwear.

Standing up, Chloe looked up and stared ahead in the mirror, catching his eyes in the reflection. She took a deep breath, not entirely sure _what _she wanted now, but that bed looked overly inviting for a place she just left. As she bit inside of her lip, Chloe knew that this wasn't her, but maybe that was the point. Her whole life, she put everyone else above herself, the exception of course being the incredible stupidity she handled her engagement.

Oliver was different. He didn't want anything from her other than this, so with full expectations on the table, there couldn't be disappointment on either side. It was a crazy phase in her life, and maybe he could show her what she had been missing out on under the sheets. It wasn't as if people ever complained about having a source of multiple orgasms, so why should she?

So she shook her head slightly, almost in disbelief. "Let's try things your way." Noticing the smile that was highlighting his features, Chloe turned her head over her shoulder. "With conditions."

She had sat back down on the bed, knowing that they had to hash this out right now or else this wasn't going to work. Oliver seemed to sense that, as he moved closer to her, but still keeping his distance. "I expect no less."

**~0~**

Walking into her apartment, Chloe tossed her keys at the entry table, making sure to lock the door behind her. Placing her purse down, she picked out her phone and began to scan through her missed text messages from Lois.

Now that she was home and thinking clearly, Chloe couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt over how she treated Lois. For the first time, she had respected her wishes about letting her private life be private and instead of taking the comfort she was providing, Chloe gave her the cold shoulder. That wasn't fair to the person who usually went out of her way to ensure Chloe was okay. Sure, Lois was far from perfect, but Chloe would be the first to admit that she was grateful to Lois because her life would be dramatically different without her cousin.

So she opened up a new text message and typed: _I'm sorry Lois. Is the girl's night still an option? Ice cream and bad movies sound like just what the doctor ordered. _

Chloe leaned against her couch, hoping that her cousin would forgive her for this, and sure enough, within two minutes, her phone buzzed.

_Apology accepted. Be there in 20. _

Smiling, Chloe put her phone down and walked towards her bathroom, as she desperately needed a shower before Lois came. She was a bloodhound when it came to these kinds of things and the last thing Chloe wanted was to break the first rule before it even began.

Granted, the whole idea that _it_ happened was still settling in. It was probably all sorts of wrong, but it was also invigorating. Furthermore, her head felt a lot lighter and while she was still mad, it was at least manageable. Plus, Oliver accepted each of her conditions, so there was at least a sense of control there.

No emotions, no gifts, no strings. No friends with benefits, because that never ended well. No, this arrangement was bare minimum of a human relationship. Bodies were appreciated, needs were met, and that was it. There were other important things to note, but in the end, that was the most important detail, to which Oliver quickly agreed to.

So here she was, standing in front of the mirror, feeling… a lot of things. The fact that Chloe felt like an emotional blender right now was an understatement, but it was a heck of a lot better than the alternative and she got to thinking just how good he could make her feel when her personal life wasn't swirling in the toilet.

Turning slightly, Chloe took note of a few areas that she would have to cover up, as there was no way she could explain the scratch marks on the back of her shoulder blades. But otherwise, this was the same Chloe that she looked at this morning. Not completely happy, but moderately content.

After pulling a t-shirt over her head, she grabbed the nearest pair of sweatpants she could find, as comfort was a priority right now. Naturally, the next course of action was to brew a pot of coffee and heat up the last bag of popcorn in her cupboard. The popping sound in the background had a sense of the dust settling, of the tornado lifting for another sky, even if it was just for one night. Because Chloe knew that her talk with Jimmy wasn't over yet, but first, she had to start with a legitimate talk with her cousin… who was actually punctual for the first time in her life.

Taking a deep breath, Chloe went to her door, but gave a quick glance back at her apartment, grateful the flowers had vacated the premises.

The moment the door opened, Lois said, "I should have told you."

Watching her cousin enter the apartment, walking right past her, Chloe shook her head. "No, you shouldn't." Once Lois had turned around, Chloe added, "I needed to hear that from Jimmy and one day, I'll talk it out with him."

Still feeling slightly ashamed on her behaviour, Chloe walked up to her cousin to give her a hug. "In the meantime… I'm sorry." Feeling Lois return it, she found a way to smile, wanting nothing more than to forget this whole thing once she backed away. "Now... what's in the bag?"

"Chunky Monkey and the first shoot-em-up action flick I could find." After all, Lois would never understood the appeal of romantic movies when heartbreak or romantic frustration was the problem. She had tried it once, and if anything, it felt like a swift kick to the stomach. Besides, Lois knew that was the last thing Chloe needed, so no matter how bad the movie was, at least she could relax.

After a nod, Chloe went back into her kitchen to grab the popcorn from the beeping microwave. "Sounds great."

Now, Lois knew that her cousin had a few hours to let the news sink in, but the transformation almost felt like more than that. "You seem... different," she said, taking note of the slight jump in her step and the lack of frustration in her eyes. Granted, that wasn't a bad thing, but it was odd timing for her to be in a good mood.

Which is why Chloe was glad she wasn't facing Lois at the time she said that. Swearing inside, Chloe realized she was trying too hard to act like everything was okay. But she couldn't tell Lois the truth, so she said the first thing that came to her mind. "I was caffeine deprived. Had a couple mochas and did some thinking."

Hearing a scoff in the other room, Chloe couldn't blame her cousin's disbelief. For even though that was true when she found out, she was more than caffeinated by the time Lois saw her. One glance at her garbage at her desk and Lois would have known that, so Chloe came back to the main room, popcorn in hand, ready with another cover story. "Fine, I… went to the range before it closed."

The last couple of years, the cousins had been learning to shoot, or if nothing else, understand how to handle a gun. After one too many muggings, they realized hand-to-hand self-defence only went so far. Sure, Chloe hadn't been there too often, hence Lois' wide eyed reaction, but Chloe quickly added, "Trust me, this is one case where unloading the anger paid off." Plopping on the couch, Chloe shrugged. "He's happy and I'm moving forward, right?"

There was a thick pause in the air after that comment, which Lois used to analyze her cousin's behaviour. She didn't want to believe it, but she really had come a long way since she saw her last, and Lois had tried that technique herself once and knew that it worked wonders.

Still, while Lois was slightly impressed, that didn't stop from her from clarifying, "So you're okay."

Leaning forward, Chloe grabbed a handful of popcorn. "I'm not necessarily _thrilled_ by the idea, but I'm by no means where I was before."

Gauging her cousin's reaction again for a second, Lois smiled before popping in the DVD. "Good. Then let's get started."


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Coming out of the elevator, Chloe couldn't help but grin when she saw Oliver leaning against his desk, waiting for her. It had been one of those days when normally all she wanted was a stiff drink, but instead she had something else in mind. And fortunately, he was more than willing to comply, taking her in his arms and kissing her hard.

Their arrangement had continued effortlessly for the last few weeks. Few words were spoken between them, but in the end, that was the point. Go in, do what's needed, and get out. Who they were, what they did, that never mattered, as insecurities fell by the wayside, along with their clothes. And while on paper this didn't seem like the most rational coping or living technique, Chloe decided to roll with it, allowing herself to enjoy this for what it was.

Because each time it was different. Even in the way his hands grasped her backside right now, there was always an active sense to his imagination. It was like he wanted to know which way got the best reaction and Chloe didn't give a damn about holding back anymore because one of the perks of being with him was that it seriously expanded her sexual repertoire. However, what mattered most was that the result was always the same and it had given her the result she needed outside of the bedroom. Lois had backed off, Clark had stopped asking questions, as they recognized the relief on her face.

It was an expression that Oliver knew all too well, the hint of innocence in what they were doing, the small hint of herself that she rarely showed to him, but he couldn't help but wonder if she showed it at all. It felt like a tell in a poker game, the difference was that it brought something out of him too, something he couldn't completely explain, not that he ever tried to explain it because his focus was usually elsewhere. Yet when that look highlighted her features, he couldn't help but pause, even if it was just for a second. Sometimes, he didn't even realize that he was doing it because reality would set back in and that mood would disappear.

But there was no disguising their satisfaction as both of their backs hit the mattress and their heavy breathing echoed in the room, far from being in sync. Staring at the ceiling, Chloe knew that in a few minutes, she would leave right on schedule. Or at least, that was until Oliver decided to break the silence of words between them.

"So why are you doing this really?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she looked towards him. "That's your definition of pillow talk?" She scoffed as she propped herself up to sit on the bed. "Besides, you agreed that you wouldn't ask why."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Oliver moved quickly, his hand grabbing hold of her arm. "C'mon, we both know that you only were going to change your mind for one night."

For the most part, when she left, Oliver gave her space, but this time, he wanted to know the truth. His grip was light enough that she could have left if she really wanted to, but when he sensed her pause, Oliver moved closer to her and began trailing kisses down her neck. Chloe craned her neck to allow him better access, so he grinned before tilting his mouth towards her ear. "You can't blame me for being curious considering I never actually expected you to accept."

She could understand that, but what she didn't understand was the fact Oliver wanted the answer to the question 'why.' Besides, how on earth was she supposed to focus on her answer while his hands moved up her body, his thumb flicking her nipple when it was close enough? Taking a deep breath, Chloe managed to say, "Well, you called it right off the bat. Needs, effort and all."

That was mostly bullshit, as that was the fringe benefit in this situation, not the primary. However, the real reason was something Chloe couldn't even explain to herself, as the Jimmy situation was behind her. "But why even make the offer if you thought I was going to refuse?"

Oliver wanted to say that making an offer like that was normal for him, that he was just going through the motions, but this was different because Chloe had called him on his bluff. She had called him on all of the crap he had pulled, yet she had also called him on something he never she would.

His potential.

Maybe Oliver wanted to quash her hopes, make her see that he wasn't better than the glimpse of hope in him that she miraculously saw. But the more he thought about it, Oliver realized that he did have an answer. Whether it was the right one, he couldn't quite confirm.

"Sometimes you get tired of the routine and want something a little more reliable." In other words: needs, effort...all the words he had tossed her way. Not that Oliver had to work hard, but he had this suspicion that he could be spending his life more effectively.

He added, "With you, I know what to expect and I know we can end this without anyone getting hurt." He knew Chloe was a professional person, and he knew what to expect, that it was only a matter of time before she walked away. "There's a twisted sense of respect, but there's no need to become friends, so if the right person comes along..."

Chloe's head turned as his voice began to trail, noticing how his hands had stopped moving as well. It felt like he had regretted that final statement, as if she was supposed to forget that, but Chloe was sure there was no way she could unheard that. "You _want _to settle down?"

Pulling back the sheets, Oliver avoided eye contact as he picked up his boxer shorts, slipping them up his legs. "I'd like to know what it's like to have a family for longer than ten years of my life." Oliver knew that she probably wouldn't want to know all this, in fact, he doubted that Chloe would even care, but that accusation cut a little deep, and Oliver felt he had to justify what he said.

Feeling a small twinge of guilt, Chloe whispered, "Touché." As she closed her eyes, Chloe didn't have the heart to tell him that she almost knew how he felt. True, she always had Lois, the General, but her immediate family held a similar sense of tragedy.

Hearing the sense of defeat in her voice, Oliver turned to her once more, sensing the slouch in her shoulders. Somehow he had hit a nerve, and although he had an idea of what it was, he wasn't about to make a guess. "What about you?"

Chloe scoffed. "I tried going that path once but... I don't I'll ever find someone that will understand the decisions I've made." Then it was her turn to look away, rotating her body to sit on the edge of the bed. "Besides, with my job, I hardly have time for that."

For now instead of regulated deadlines, it was self-imposed deadlines. It was that sense that she had to keep working to see that paycheck come into her account. She had formed a few valuable contacts before, but since her story on Oliver, people actually wanted her next story. Besides this arrangement, she hardly had enough time to breathe between running down leads.

Chloe wasn't a fool, she knew this boom wouldn't last; stuff like this never did, but she was glad to be able to pay her bills on time for once. However, she knew that she would eventually need more from life than working and this arrangement. For as much as this invigorated her, there was something that didn't sit well with her. Probably because she never saw herself as someone who would use anyone like this. Even if he was okay with it, that didn't make it better.

Especially in a moment like this, when he stood in front of her, her bra and panties in hand, passing them to her. Her whole body was on display for him, but instead, he looked into her eyes, a hint of empathy in his own. Finally seeing her looking at him, Oliver said softly, "You may be surprised."

Tilting her head, Chloe did up the clasp on her bra before standing up, careful not to touch Oliver in the process. "Well, life tends to be full of surprises," she replied, lifting her leg to put on her panties. Unfortunately, her balance was another matter, as she couldn't believe that she felt her leg stutter while the other one was raised.

It wasn't much of a tell, yet she still felt his hand grab hold of her arm to keep her steady. As she pulled the panties up her legs, she expected a quip about his prowess to lighten the mood… or at least _something_ to that nature. But he remained silent, his expression unwavering as his hand remained loosely in place. Their faces weren't far from each other and Chloe could swear she was breathing a lot easier before. His breath falling on her cheek, she felt her eyes blink a few times, but just before she lifted her hand, they both heard a distinct buzzing from across the room.

Shaking his head, Oliver backed away, lifting his hand before striding across the room to get his phone, leaving Chloe standing there alone, an unexpected chill running through her body. "I'll… I'll call you when I need you," she said, fully expecting him to be focusing on the call, so she headed for the door.

"Can't wait," he said, and Chloe wondered if it was for her, so she turned and saw his smile, the usual one he flashed her way, the one that had a small difference from the one used in public. So she grinned back before heading back towards the main room to gather her clothes.

This whole time she thought she had to be right, that he was just selling himself short. And maybe she still was, but Chloe now understood _why _he did this. All of the stress he carried, the expectations placed by himself or by others, this was his distraction, a way to let go.

That was human after all, and trust wasn't something that came easy from a world that always wanted something from him. So he resorted to the physical, to the playboy image, the bare minimum. But something told Chloe that he would trade every possession in this room for normalcy. Maybe a chance to see his parents again, maybe just a sense to privacy, but it's because of his parents that he holds onto this, that much Chloe knew for sure. And if anyone understood holding onto every last figment of their parents... it was her.

After checking her reflection in a nearby mirror, Chloe was about to leave, but she saw the array of files that had landed on the floor thanks to their recent activities. Feeling slightly guilty, she picked them all up, noticing the titles on the files were all non-profit organizations. As she put them down, there was still one loose paper on the floor, one she could have walked by if it wasn't one she recognized. Kneeling down, Chloe looked at it to be sure, wondering if there was another reason for this to be here, but she was drawing blanks.

"You're still here."

Chloe's head popped up, her fingers curling harder against the newspaper article in her hand. "I...I wish I could spin this and have a good explanation." Taking a single glance down, Chloe then tossed it back on the desk. It couldn't be true, yet somehow, it was the only possibility. "I'm sorry," she said before heading towards the elevator.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Oliver walked quickly towards his desk, glancing at what had kept her. It certainly wasn't what he had expected. Noticing how her foot was about to enter the elevator, he called out, "Ask me."

Chloe froze in place. "What?"

Holding up the article for her to see, Oliver shrugged a shoulder. "Whatever's on your mind... ask me."

She sighed as she took a few steps back towards him. It seems crazy that she was about to ask this, but there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to know this. "You were the anonymous donor that saved the Rylan group home... weren't you?" Grinning, she added, "Off the record, of course." After all, this wasn't a story she wanted to tell, as this time, this question was personal.

"What if I was?" he answered with little hesitation, not seeing much point in lying to her when she had put enough pieces together.

"That was... twelve years ago," Chloe pointed out, her eyes narrowing, "long before you set up shop in Metropolis. So I guess I'm wondering why." This was a story that barely hit the blip of the average person's radar, yet somehow, a billionaire across the country managed to find it. There had to be more there than what appeared on the surface.

But while Chloe never realized that her comment worked both ways, Oliver did right away. It was twelve years ago, an accurate recollection that took more than just a glance at the date of the newspaper. However, something told Oliver that was a story that he would never hear so he placed the article down before finding her eyes once more.

"I've been in Metropolis longer than you think." A valid truth, but probably a stretch of the truth, so he clarified, "Maybe not full-time, but I researched the city, even began reading the _Daily Planet_ years ago. One day, I saw that Rylan was closing due to insufficient funds."

It was just a simple ad on the side of the page, describing what Rylan was to Metropolis. A place for lost kids, orphans, even a half-way house, all run by a handful of volunteers. It was a commendable place and at the time, Oliver felt that he had to do some good. "From what I read, it was one of the few places that cared about the kids and kept their hopes up. It's... one of my first proud moments and I've been a silent donor ever since."

Hearing that, Chloe's heart thudded against her chest, as there was so much she wanted to say, but she bit her tongue, eventually settling on, "It… was a special place." Knowing he would ask more, Chloe added, "I actually wrote a piece about the owner in high school, and I volunteered there throughout college. I assure you that you picked the right place to start."

For now, that would have to do, as Chloe was reminded of what was supposed to be her quick exit when she stared down at her feet. Picking up her purse, she swung it over her shoulder. "I should probably get going."

Oliver nodded. "Have a good day, Chloe."

"You... you too." Heading to the elevator, Chloe almost paused when she heard his footsteps behind her. She did peer over her shoulder, but she entered the elevator without addressing him. She heard the gate closing behind her, but he paused in his progress when she had fully turned.

Chloe was going to ask him if everything was okay, but he never gave her a chance to find her words as he pulled her towards him to finish their interrupted moment in the bedroom. However, Chloe's mind immediately went blank, leading to her just trying to keep up, but this time, the kiss ended before it deepened. With a smirk, Oliver stepped back once more and closed the gate, watching a dumbfounded Chloe before the elevator started to descend.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

Releasing his lips, Chloe turned her head, catching the hint of sunlight in the room. Was it morning already?

It was completely possible, as she had completely lost track of time, but Oliver didn't seem fazed in the slightest, as his fingers curled under her ass while she hovered over him. She was tempted to ask him what time it was, but Chloe had this feeling that he was going to be useless in answering that question. So Chloe leaned back to see the clock on his bedside table, eyes widening when she saw the time.

"Shit, I gotta go."

That admission froze Oliver momentarily, but he recovered quickly. He knew it was early, but he also knew he wasn't letting go of her that easily. "It's Saturday, you can take a day off."

Unfortunately, while that was nice in theory, this was something she couldn't avoid nor could she afford to be late. "I'm meeting Lois for breakfast in an hour and I'm going to need to go home and change." Tilting her head down, she whispered, "I also need to be able to walk."

"Walking's overrated," Oliver replied, knowing that she was the one to initiate this round. He figured that she would be tired after spending most of the night _and _morning with him, but besides a short rest, she was always up to it. At least, until now.

"For us mortals, it's all we have." After all, she was still saving up to replace her car, so she was walking or taking the bus to get most places. Chloe knew it was going to be hard enough to walk now, another round would only make it closer to impossible. "How about I make it up to you tonight?"

Figuring that he wouldn't get his way on this matter, Oliver decided it was best to take the compromise. "You better," he said, leading to a smirk from Chloe as she left the bed.

She had found her underwear first, sliding them up her legs with her eyes looking elsewhere. It wasn't the ideal activity for Oliver to watch, but there was always a sensuality to the way her body moved, even after a night like this one. Eventually, he realized that she was staring back at him, so he quickly cleared his throat before she asked, "Have you seen my bra?"

Oliver laughed. "See, that's the perk for what I had in mind. No clothing required." Recognizing the less-than-pleased expression on her face, Oliver gestured towards the other side of the room. "I'm pretty sure I tossed it over there."

It was Chloe's turn to laugh at his nonchalance. "You're enjoying this, I see."

He wasn't about to disagree with her, as he scanned her nearly-naked body once more. "It's a beautiful view. Just one of the many reasons I was hoping you'd accept my offer."

His latter comment sparked something in Chloe, reminding her of something she had meaning to ask him. "Speaking of, well... sort of. The night we met... you knew who I was." He had to in order to track her down in the first place, but there was always a sense that Oliver knew her. Chloe couldn't pinpoint why she felt that way, yet it was that feeling that kept her from being surprised when all he did was shrug.

"So?"

Finally locating her bra, Chloe broke eye contact to lean down to pick it up. "Do you keep up with all of the journalists who write about you?"

At this point, Oliver had gotten out of the bed and had been quietly approaching her. "The _Daily Planet_ is the epitome of news in Metropolis and it's where you accomplished in three years what most accomplish in six." She had put her bra on, her hands going behind her to do up the clasp, but he covered them, taking the clasp and doing it up himself. "I wasn't the only one who wonders why Lex let you go."

Chloe swallowed hard, partially because of his sudden proximity, but also because she knew there was more to that story. However, it wasn't one she felt like telling. "Actually besides close friends, I think you were."

She had turned around, not shocked to see him still standing there, but that didn't stop him from taking a step closer. "You write the truth, which scares people." Noticing a stray strand of hair in her face, Oliver moved it gently from her eyes. "And you're a lot more talented than even you give yourself credit. The response says it all, yet you still sell yourself short."

"Keeps me on my toes," Chloe said, chuckling lightly. "I'm the media darling for now, but trust me, there'll be some brunette bombshell taking my place soon." Considering how many times that happened in her personal life, it wouldn't surprise Chloe if that translated to her professional life.

But she didn't want to dwell on that topic, so she moved away from him to grab her shirt. "How does ten sound?" Chloe recognized the shift in his expression, but he recovered quickly before replying:

"Just give me a call before you come."

Chloe nodded and left the room, surprised at how... _intimate _that felt. Sure, this whole arrangement was technically intimate, but what just happened felt like a different sense of the word. Maybe it was the simple fact that they had spent the whole night together, a first for them, but Chloe knew that she would need coffee and fresh air to clear her head of this nagging feeling.

"Hey there."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat as she heard a voice behind her that clearly wasn't Oliver's. Spinning around, she saw a guy standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He looked vaguely familiar, but Chloe couldn't place him. Taking a deep breath, she managed, "Hello."

Hal laughed, having a feeling that her mind was racing right now. "Wow, relax. Your secret is safe with me." It was hard not to know when he heard telling sounds when he came in last night, but the real surprise was seeing who it was. It seemed no challenge was too much for his friend. "Do you want some coffee?"

She should have said no, walked away and hoped this guy was telling the truth. Instead, she said, "Sure," because she wanted to get a sense of his character before she left. If she was five minutes late, then so be it.

Once she got closer, he held out his hand to her. "I'm Hal by the way."

"Chloe," she replied, although based on this morning, she had a feeling that he already knew that, something that felt confirmed once she saw him grin before turning back into the kitchen.

"Travel mug or are you sticking around?" Hal asked as he approached the pot of coffee he had just brewed for himself. He had to admit, he was kind of surprised she accepted his offer, but based on the tentative way she shook his hand, he figured this was actually more about him than the coffee.

"No need for me to borrow anything, I can down a coffee pretty quickly." Sitting on one of the stools, Chloe couldn't help but ask, "So how long have you known?"

Hal liked that she was straight to the point, but his eyebrows had quirked up nonetheless. Oliver hadn't mentioned anything along the lines of Chloe Sullivan since he left Metropolis, but based on that comment, this clearly wasn't the first time.

"To be honest, I had a long layover," Hal replied as he placed the cup on the counter in front of her, "so I thought I'd use the free bed and breakfast. I guess the short answer would be since now." He had caught the way she drank a large majority of her cup, likely beating herself up for outing the arrangement, but it was only a matter of time anyway. Leaning against the counter on the other side, Hal added, "Gotta say, I never thought I would actually see you here."

At the time, Chloe glanced across the kitchen and noticed his jacket and cap hung on a chair, reminding Chloe of who her current company was, although that wasn't any less encouraging. She always figured that Oliver would have bragged about it to someone, not being able to help himself. And based on the calm way he greeted this morning, she figured that person would have been his closest friend, Hal Jordan. However, it appeared that Oliver took her rules more seriously than she thought.

"Neither would I," she said, finally answering his question, "but we get what we need out of it." Taking another sip, Chloe smiled, as she had to admit that she was grateful for the caffeine right now. "You must be quite the wingman, being a pilot and all."

Hal nodded. "It does have its perks. One of them is plenty of experience making coffee." Hal noticed the way her lips quirked up as she sipped the coffee, so he had to add, "Believe it or not, Oliver can't make coffee to save his life."

"Seriously?"

"I don't drink it," Oliver said, announcing his presence by walking past Hal to fill up his water bottle. He was surprised to see Chloe still here, but upon hearing her talking with Hal, he couldn't blame her either. "And my assistant insists on making the coffee whenever I have a client."

Lifting her cup in appreciation, Chloe smirked at Oliver. "Well, you're missing out."

"And would it kill you to put a shirt on? I mean, it's not like you have to impress her."

Oliver just smirked at Hal's comment before leaving the kitchen. "Chloe."

After a roll of her eyes, Chloe watched as he left them alone. When she figured he was out of ear shot, she turned back to Hal. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... you seem relatively normal." At least, based on first impressions, it felt that way. "How did you two become friends?"

So she was still skeptical, Hal got that, and he doubted that anything he said would change her mind about Oliver. "It's not much of a story, but... let's just say that when he's around his friends, there's a person that you don't see in the tabloids every day. I mean, he's still a guy, but one that means what he says and does a lot of positive things without taking credit." Taking a sip from his cup, he added, "Besides, you can't completely hate him if you're here right?"

"He's just..." Looking towards where he had left, she was trying to find the word that she wanted. "He's confusing."

This morning displayed it all, as from one minute, his eyes went from roving her body, to the next where he's helping her to leave, knowing that she was going to come back. Then to make things even more confusing, there was the dig at her self-confidence, or in his mind, lack thereof. True, Chloe may of initiated that by asking about how he knew her, but she never expected the tender way that he would speak of her skills.

Hal chuckled. "That won't get any easier. I hardly know what's going on in his mind because of how much pressure he puts on himself and how well he hides the strain it puts on him. If you decide to get to know him... I actually think you could inspire each other a lot."

"Don't hold your breath on that one," Chloe said with a scoff.

Hal put his hands up in defence, standing up to fill up his cup. "I'm not, just... putting the idea out there."

Nodding, Chloe pushed the coffee mug forward. "Thanks for the coffee, Hal."

"And it was nice to officially meet you Chloe," he replied with his back still turned to her, leading to Chloe gathering her things to head towards the elevator.

This time, she was definitely ready to leave, but she paused at the sight of Oliver doing his morning yoga. Most women would probably gawk at the fact his chest was exposed, but her eyes were locked elsewhere, as there was something about him in this moment that allowed Chloe to see what Hal was talking about.

A calmness relaxed him, allowed him to find his centre, but now, Chloe could see that it was just a shield. Only when she continued to stare, she began to feel like she was looking in the mirror, and that scared her enough to practically run towards the elevator.

Her sprint brought Oliver out of focus, wondering what had caused her sudden change in behaviour. Except she was long gone, and the only face there to greet him was Hal's.

"So... that actually happened. Multiple times."

Oliver grinned at his friend's quip, taking a swig from his water bottle. "Did I ever mention to you how glad I was that you took off early last time you were here?"

Hal laughed back, not realizing this had been going on for _that _long and Oliver hadn't said a thing. "What's the deal with her? Friends with benefits?"

"Just the latter. My offer, her rules."

"Exclusive?"

Oliver's eyes widened, as oddly enough, that was never actually discussed. Chloe had been so focused on secrecy and privacy that exclusivity never came on the table. "I don't think so."

The lack of certainty in his response caught Hal slightly off-guard, but he didn't show it. "Any other angles?" When his friend turned to him once more, his expression wasn't overly pleasant, but Hal stood by what he said. "I mean, she's not exactly your usual type."

While there was some truth to that statement, Oliver just scoffed, putting down the water bottle. "Trust me, I don't think she wants anything more to do with me than this."

"Long story short, you're living the dream."

"That's one way of putting it," Oliver replied moving his legs and arms into a warrior pose. "What time's your flight?"

Hal couldn't help but laugh at his friend's attempt to end the conversation. "No worries, I'll be gone before your next rendez-vous, but this has been a _very _eye-opening visit."

**~0~**

In the end, everything had worked out, as Chloe had enough time to go home and change, even enough time to freshen up before heading to Metro cafe where she was meeting Lois. She had been running a few minutes late, but as usual, Lois was running even more late, so Chloe sat down at their usual table at Metro, waiting for Lois to show up.

She had peeled her muffin wrapper open, knowing that this was limited as far as breakfast was concerned, but with their busy lives, it was usually all they had time for. But the silence was appreciated, as she had time to collect her thoughts and digest everything that had happened this morning.

If nothing else, Hal seemed trustworthy, someone who has had Oliver's back for long enough. The coffee was also appreciated, as she needed caffeine more than she thought. But that wasn't because of the all-nighter, no, it was about trying to understand Oliver.

Finger twirling in her hair, she thought about what it felt having his fingers move gently there, about how she let him do that, about she didn't mind him touching her that way.

"Yoo hoo... anybody in there?"

Chloe blinked, looking up at the puzzled expression on her cousin's face. Dropping her hand instantly, Chloe sat up straight and gestured for Lois to sit. "Sorry Lois."

"Where did you just go?" Lois asked as she sat down, thrown back by her cousin's mood this morning. Lois had called her name three times before she realized that Chloe's mind was elsewhere. That would explain why her cousin's muffin was still uneaten. Usually when Lois was this late, Chloe would slowly pick away at her muffin and it would be half-gone by now. But today, she was just staring off in space.

Picking up her coffee mug, Lois was further surprised by how hot it was, as again, it was usually lukewarm. Chloe would often lecture Lois on showing up on time if she wanted a hot drink, but again, not today. No doubt about it, her cousin had been late as well, but the question was why.

Unfortunately, her cousin's response contained the usual amount of vagueness. "Nowhere."

"Okay, then where have you been lately? I feel like I never see you anymore."

"Just working," Chloe said before taking a bite from her muffin. "You know when I'm running a story."

Lois did. Chloe never slept, but she was always on time and she was never this unfocused. But Lois decided not to call her on it. "I told you that article was going to pay big dividends."

Laughing, Chloe put her cup down. "You know, I never said that I wasn't going to do it. And your endorsement was hardly the reason I accepted."

"Hey Chloe, sorry it took me so long to get your top-up."

Looking up at the barista holding out a new cardboard cup to her, Chloe's eyes narrowed, recognizing her name on the cup. There was just one problem. "I... didn't order one."

The barista pursed her lips, turning the cup in her hand. "Almond mocha, extra whip... cup's even got your name on it." Shrugging, she put the cup down for Chloe. "Whoever did order this clearly knows how you like your coffee."

"I..." Her eyebrows were furrowed, but when she looked up, the barista tilted her head towards the window, leading to Chloe catching a familiar face amongst the crowd outside. Shaking her head, she looked back to the barista, catching her nametag. "Thanks Carmen."

Confused, Lois looked over her shoulder, trying to see what Chloe had stared at, but came up blank as Oliver had disappeared not long after he broke eye contact with Chloe.

"It's a free drink Lois," Chloe said, not wanting her cousin to explore that any further than she had to. "At this point, I'm fine with accepting the lemonade the world's given me after all the lemons."

Seeing her cousin's smile, Lois smirked in response, as that gave her everything she needed. She may not have seen the person who must have been standing outside of the cafe, but there was no mistaking that smile, or the sudden large amounts of good moods her cousin had been having lately. For while she had sustained some professional success, it was clear that work wasn't the only thing on Chloe's schedule.

**~0~**

Closing the door to her apartment, Chloe sat down on her couch, scrolling down her contact list to his number, debating her reaction to this whole morning. Sure, it was... _different_, but after some thought, Chloe realized that she also didn't mind it either. So she dialled his number, not surprised to see it go to voicemail, as he likely had important things to do today.

After a sigh, she said, "I'm glad you didn't pick up because I just wanted to leave a message. Thanks for the coffee. I... don't know what you were doing at Metro, but... thanks."

She had taken her phone with her as she approached her desk. After settling in her chair, she was ready to work, but after a few minutes, her phone buzzed.

Sure enough, it was Oliver texting her: _I've been told that I'm missing out, but in the future, your coffee habit will be the only one I'm supporting._

Smiling, she texted him back. _I will make you regret that._ After all, he had no idea how much coffee he drank, but he didn't seem to mind based on his response.

_I doubt it._

Putting down her phone once more, Chloe grinned. Only time would tell who would be right, but if Oliver was serious, she had this sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be him.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

As his voicemail activated, Chloe swallowed hard, wondering what was coming over her. This was a completely normal event. In fact, this wasn't even the first time she had encountered his voicemail, but this time she awkwardly ended the call before hanging up.

She knew he was out of town, she knew that he was busy, but she still called him. It was hard to admit that she wanted his company today, despite the fact that Chloe had functioned just fine without him before. But it was the truth, and even if he _was_ in Metropolis, it wasn't like she could walk up to his office or go to his place. He was working on something really important and Chloe knew better than to interrupt that.

This led her back to square one, so she turned in her chair to focus back on her article, knowing that her deadline was fast approaching, but the flashing text marker seemed to be intimidating her. It didn't help that her coffee mug was empty, which gave her the perfect excuse to run out of her apartment for some fresh air.

Because it wasn't enough that she was thinking about him this much awake, as Chloe hadn't been sleeping well lately either. Even when when she did... she often needed a cold shower in the morning.

It felt pathetic, considering all the months she had gone without sex before him, even when she was _with_ Jimmy, as with him there was never time. Or they never made time. Probably more likely the latter.

But there was something about Oliver that stayed on her mind, including the fact that a particular slip of paper had found its way into her purse early last week. No matter how many times she said no, he still persisted on giving her a little something. And as she headed down the pavement, Chloe contemplated her scenario and decided it was time to take the blessing for what it was.

**~0~**

He almost couldn't believe his eyes as he stared down at his phone. What was she doing calling him _now?_ She knew he was in Star City this week and it had to be early afternoon there.

Maybe she may be a bit more adventurous than he imagined, as phone sex came to mind, but he doubted that was the case. Regardless, he couldn't focus during the meeting while that missed call stared him right in the face. So once it finished, he immediately took the elevator up to his office to check the message, but there wasn't one. At least, there wasn't one besides a few quick breaths and a _Sorry_ before the familiar click activated.

Smirking, Oliver dialled her number. He never thought that she would show this kind of vulnerability to him, and while there was a lingering feeling that likely showed on his face, Oliver tossed it aside, focusing on the fact Chloe had to know he was never going to let her off that easily. After a few rings, her voice greeted him, so he said, "You called?"

"I... right I did." Looking up, Chloe ensured that the receptionist was far enough away so that she couldn't hear this conversation. Just in case, she stepped away from the desk, smiling as she stared out the window. "I donated your cheque." It wasn't the reason she had called, but it was at least the truth, or at least, it would be in a few minutes.

Oliver laughed, as he hadn't been expecting that at all. "I thought you ripped it up." Leaning back in his chair, he began to wonder why she would have hung up if that was all. But something told him that he already knew the answer to that.

"You sent _three_ cheques," Chloe emphasized, confidence in her voice. "I missed one and I figured you weren't going to stop, so I put it to a good cause." Technically, that was only partially true, as she felt guilty enough for actually accepting his money, so there was no way he was going to find out what she spent the money on. She didn't need his sympathy or pity on this matter.

Nodding, Oliver opened up a file folder to sign a document that he had been expecting for awhile. As the pen lifted from the page, a grin slowly formed on his face. "I'm glad to hear that," he said genuinely.

"Well, that was it," Chloe lied, not wanting to go into any more detail than she had to. "I guess I'll see you a few days?"

"You bet. Take care."

After hanging up her phone, Chloe paused as his last words rung in his ear. It was just a generic closing, but he had never said anything like that to her before. She didn't have much time to dwell on though, as looked across the room to see her favourite receptionist had come back. Nora had manned the desk here for as long as Chloe could remember. "So we're okay?"

She nodded. "Chloe, no one would blink twice if you used this money for yourself."

While that was true, because she had gotten to know everyone at this care facility pretty well over the years, Chloe knew this was for the best. "I feel bad enough that I'm using this money, Nora. It might as well go to a good cause."

Nora understood that, but when she placed the receipt down, she pursed her lips. "Well, I did a 75 percent payment plan and a 25 percent donation split instead of 50/50." She saw Chloe open her mouth to argue, but she held a single finger up to stop her. "_Don't_ argue with me on this."

Because Nora had seen it all when it came to Chloe's life. The ups, the multiple downs, and yet, she never asked for help. This payment was by far her largest, so between that and Chloe's reluctance to spend it, she had an idea of where it came from. However, she was glad that Chloe was loosening up a little, because even with Clark and Lois in her life, Chloe seemed determined to always be self-reliant.

Sighing, Chloe gave in, because Nora was probably right. "Fine."

Content with her answer, Nora smiled as she finalized the transaction on their database. "Are you going to see her today?"

"Yeah, I… haven't been here is awhile. How is she?"

"The same," Nora replied, her head dipping slightly. "I know it's not much, but…"

"It's enough," Chloe interjected. "Truly." Because t was the truth of the situation. Things weren't going to get better, so all she could hope was that thread would hold on over time because Chloe wasn't ready to let go of the idea that she had immediate family just yet.

Opening the door, Chloe felt her breath hitch before she looked inside. She should have been used to this by now, but each time it was so hard seeing her this way.

"Hey mom."

When her mother's eyes found her, there was joy in them, and Chloe could almost feel grateful that she could at least tell her mother was happy to see her.

It still almost felt like yesterday, as most of the details of that night were still fresh in her mind. She wasn't in the car, in fact, it was one of the first nights her parents had trusted Chloe to spend the night alone. Her father had been working to the bone lately, so they wanted a night to themselves. The good news was that they got it, but it was the last night her parents spent together.

On the way back from the restaurant, a drunk driver ran a red light, crashing into her parent's car. Chloe knew there was more to the story, but she had blocked it from her mind long ago. It hurt enough to know that the crash killed her father instantly. Her mother survived, but she suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash, leading to over ten years of living with locked-in syndrome.

They threw out the book on the other driver, but that didn't make it any better. That didn't change the fact that Chloe had practically been an orphan since she was a teenager. The driver tried to apologize, but no words dried her tears, nor did they lessen the overall frustration of her loss.

However, Chloe knew that she was lucky, because Mrs. Kent had insisted that Chloe stayed at the farm until her Uncle Sam and Lois were able to pick up their lives and come to Metropolis. Chloe always figured that happened because Lois threatened to run off. Heck, even her sister Lucy claimed she would have been close behind if not for boarding school, so Chloe was thankful for the family she did have.

That never stopped people at school from looking at Chloe differently for awhile, probably showing some sick sort of pity or sorrow. But it had died down quickly and that aspect at least went back to normal. Her life as she knew it though, would never be _normal_ again.

"You look great," Chloe said to her mother with a smile, knowing that the words weren't the most genuine, but there wasn't a whole lot else she could say.

Sitting down in the same cloth chair that had been here twelve years ago, the familiar silence sank in, but in her mother's eyes, it was as if Chloe could see everything. Eventually, she peered over to the bedside table and as Chloe looked, she saw the familiar cover photo with Oliver's face on it.

Grinning, she picked it up, knowing that she hadn't talked about her mother about it. Chloe wanted to, but there was always a sense of bittersweet attached to the piece while she was writing it. Now, she could hardly admit what she was doing with Oliver, but it was comforting to know now that the guy she wrote about wasn't so far off.

If nothing else, the fact he had saved Rylan would have been enough, as Chloe only wished that she had known that before the article. He never would have let her publish it, but that was the kind of press he could have used to his advantage.

Still looking at the cover, Chloe couldn't help but wonder if he knew the owner, if he respected the place based on what Rachel made it to be. For that was where Chloe's true connection lay. True, there were a few hours when Chloe thought she would be a resident herself, but she never was. Instead, Chloe would always be grateful to the woman who ran the place.

She had met Rachel the night of the accident, a twelve-year-old kid opening the door, hoping the sirens in the neighborhood weren't for her. Rachel was the one who had come to their door to ensure Chloe found peace in her darkest hours, but Chloe initially didn't want anything to do with her, or whatever 'lies' she was spinning.

After all, they only sent people like her to kids who had lost their parents and Chloe had just seen her parents a few hours ago. Plus, they were only at the hospital, she had thought back then, so everything was going to be alright. They would get better and they'd be a family once more, these were the words Chloe had repeated to herself and out loud a few times. But eventually, Rachel got to her and once the news sunk in, it was a terrifying thing to wonder what would have happened if she wasn't there.

Rachel had this way with kids, probably why she set up Rylan in the first place, and she always found a way to give hope when it felt like none was in sight. Chloe never forgot the way that pit built up in her stomach and the way it would slowly lessen while they walked to the hospital.

Chloe didn't want to go in the police car, and one of the perks of walking had been the fact it had prolonged the inevitable. The whole walk, Chloe had refused to say a word, so Rachel talked instead, telling her that she knew what it felt like to feel like the whole world was ripped away.

She explained how she had lost her husband years ago, while her only son had been killed in a car accident just a few weeks ago. However, she was quick to clarify that didn't mean she understood what Chloe was feeling, but she understood the pain and the need for company when the time was right.

_I'll either sit next to you or I'll be across the room. But even though it feels like it right now, you won't be alone._

The whole time, Chloe had questioned her presence, thinking she had better things to do, but Rachel just shook her head. Chloe would find out later that this was part of her protocol, but she had told Chloe that it had also given her a decent distraction from her troubles. For her, seeing Chloe had been a reason for her to keep fighting for her kids, to build a true home, but it wouldn't be until Chloe opened the paper and saw that Rylan had been saved that Chloe truly understood what Rachel meant that night.

Chloe still had that article stashed away, although she hadn't thought about it in months, or at least, not until seeing the same article at Oliver's. She never would have guessed that Rachel's relief came through in the form of Oliver Queen, but it hurt to realize that was something she would never know. And Chloe wanted nothing more than to tell Rachel, but she knew it was too late to do anything about that.

Because while Mrs. Kent had taken Chloe back to the farm from the hospital, that wasn't the last night she saw Rachel. Her mom was transferred to a group home in Metropolis, making the commute harder for Chloe, but it was the best place for a person in her condition. However, that didn't story Chloe from taking the trek from Smallville to Metropolis on the bus to see her mom.

Every now and then, Chloe would also stop off and visit Rylan, mainly because Rachel always made time for her. She also wouldn't hesitate in accompanying Chloe to the hospital on days when Mrs. Kent or Lois weren't available. No matter what, Rachel always had the right words to say to convince her that just because her mom couldn't move like before, she was still Chloe's mom. Plus, Rachel never tried to be her mother, but Chloe recognized that she always made her feel like everything was going to be okay. No matter what, Rachel always had an incredible gift with all of her kids, making them believe in themselves and being able to push on, even after everything she had lost herself.

So in the end, the high school article, the volunteer hours, it was the least Chloe could do to show her thanks until Rachel passed away due to breast cancer last year. But what mattered most was that the group home was still standing, even though Chloe hadn't been back since the funeral.

Smiling once more to shake those memories aside, Chloe put down the magazine. "I'm sorry I didn't mention that last time I was here. But work is pouring in now."

With that came the reminder that Chloe hadn't been here nearly as much as she would like, and she felt a pang of guilt, realizing that some of the time that she had spent with Oliver, she could have spent here.

Because despite everything, these talks meant something, as there was a reason Chloe never gave up on her mom. And even though she knew that right now her mom was living on borrowed time, each day she came to visit, Chloe was reminded of the little things, that no matter how many obstacles she came across, she had plenty to be grateful for. After all, her mom always saw beauty in the small things.

If nothing else, she knew that she would always have Lois, as the cousins raised themselves because Uncle Sam was always pretty busy with military matters. Lucy went out-of-state for school, so she had lost touch with her cousin, but she at least rely on a birthday card form her. And they both had a surrogate family of sorts in the Kents, even after Mr. Kent passed and Mrs. Kent succeeded in becoming Kansas' Senator.

Her uncle even agreed to cover her mom's costs until she graduated university, but no matter how much she had saved, Chloe could barely find a way to make ends meet. While she had been writing more lately, a large sum of the money had gone towards her student loans and it wasn't until yesterday that Chloe realized that she may not be able to make her payment here next month. That's why she had grabbed the cheque out of the drawer, as this was the only reason she could justify spending the money Oliver gave her.

One day, she would have to thank him properly, as thanks to him, she could breathe a little easier for a month or two. So for the first time in a long time, Chloe wasn't lying when she said, "Things... might have turned around for me."

Her mom's eyes brightened up, the most happiness that she could show for Chloe and her news. It got Chloe thinking about all those years, the tests, the hope that maybe she would recover. But nothing came to fruition. All she had was eye movements.

However, Chloe was glad for that, because it was better than nothing, as she knew someone who had less than that. Squeezing her hand tight, Chloe could still feel the warmth in her mother's skin, the sensation almost enough to dislodge a few tears.

Oliver's response to the question about his parents never stopped haunting her, the way that he said that all he wanted was to say goodbye, a word she never had a chance to say to her father before he passed, a word her mother couldn't say even if she was conscious when he did die. Tears now spilling from her eyes, Chloe tried to smile, tried to convince her mother that things were okay.

"But I'm..." she started, pushing up from her chair to hug her mother. "I'm so happy you're here." Holding the embrace, she added, "I love you mom."

**~0~**

A few hours later, Chloe got off the bus to get to her apartment, ready to grab a protein bar for dinner and work the next however many hours on her article. As she closed the main door in her building, she turned on her phone to read a few unread texts from Lois, so she was about to call her cousin when she noticed another text on her phone.

_Coming back a day early. Any way I can see you tomorrow night?_

After hitting the elevator button, a smile lit up her face before she texted him back: _Text me when you land. _Little did she know that the elevator had already reached the ground floor, but the person emerged from it had every intention of letting her know.

"Who was that?"

Chloe jumped on the spot, not expecting Lois to be there, but suddenly, it all came back to her that she was supposed to have dinner with her cousin tonight. Glancing at the clock on her phone, Chloe felt embarrassed. "I completely forgot Lois... I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," Lois said with a shrug, having an idea of what kept her so long. "I at least know how you feel now."

"I know I have some ice cream upstairs, how about dessert?"

"Sounds great," Lois said as she re-entered the elevator. With Clark working overtime at the _Daily Planet_, she figured tonight would be a great cousin's night anyway. However, that didn't stop her from adding, "You know, you never answered my question."

Chloe was facing away from Lois, a fact that she was grateful for, as her breath had clearly hitched. Scrambling her brain, she tried to find the easiest cover story because she knew her cousin had seen that dumb look on her face.

"I've been talking to Matt about potential new articles for me. He just told me that my pitch for the June issue is a strong contender." Fortunately, Chloe wasn't completely lying about that, and she always could call her friend to corroborate that story, even if it fell through. Unfortunately, that response seemed to add more confusion on Lois' face. "What?"

Lois didn't really know where to start, mainly because she didn't know whether to interpret Matt was really the person who texted Chloe. For a second, Lois considered that it could be, because had timing been different, there was no doubt in her mind that things would have escalated between them. But Matt had a girlfriend, and Chloe wouldn't step past that line.

So considering that, plus his out-of-town status, there was no way he was Chloe's mystery man, so Lois altered her line of questioning. "That's great, cuz. I'm glad to hear that. Is that why I got stood up tonight?"

The awkward pause had been hard to take, but Chloe was able to answer this easily. "No, I was visiting my mom, actually. I hadn't been by in awhile and I lost track of time."

Taking in her reaction and calm response, Lois knew that at least that was true, but her prior response was an obvious lie. Her cousin always wanted a more private life, but normally, she would at least oblige Lois' curiosity with a little disclosure. All this pointed to Chloe was seeing someone that Lois would know, but she didn't exactly have many guys in her life and Lois could cross off all of the ones she could think of almost instantly.

So who the heck was he?

* * *

_Disclaimer: In trying to emulate canon, I tried to research everything on locked-in syndrome to have a real-world situation where Moira Sullivan is in a catatonic state. I have no empirical experience, so I can only hope that I portrayed it right. If you know anything about it that is incorrect, please let me know. The last thing I want to do is offend someone._

_Sera's Scribbles: I admit, I used to really like this chapter, but now I'm not so sure. The Rylan storyline hit a minor bump last week, but because that bump, I had to practically re-write the chapter. I'm also hoping it all makes sense as I weaved between present and past tense..._


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

After a few more days in Star City, Oliver was on a plane back to Metropolis, feeling a huge sense of relief. It had taken months to get that deal finalized, but now that it was done, he could finally relax. Sitting in the back of his car, he immediately texted her, hoping he wouldn't have to wait long for her once he got back to the clocktower.

He couldn't admit this aloud to her, but he missed Chloe in Star City. When he went out, the usual girls would throw their arms around him, expecting the usual night of fun, but it didn't feel right anymore. It wasn't just the fact that they were easy, they just didn't have the same amount of fight in them. There was no light rapport, no sense of reciprocation, it was just... empty.

For years, that was his reprieve, his exit from frustration, but it had lost its effectiveness since they began their arrangement. From day one, she didn't want to be a silent partner, leading to Oliver getting off just as often as her. Like Hal had said, he was living the dream, so Oliver didn't see much point in diluting the experience.

It's why a familiar smile came when her text came as the car crossed the half-way point between the airport and the clocktower. Scrolling through his missed calls, he saw that her short message was still on his voicemail, reminding him of the conversation that followed.

There was a part of Oliver that expected Chloe to never spend the money, but he was glad she finally did. It felt like life had dealt for an unlucky hand and he wanted to help where he could. And even if she didn't want it, money and connections were the only way he could help because those were the few genuine things Oliver had in his life.

Everyone knew the story of how he lost his parents young and it was rare to find someone he could call his friend. Privacy went out of the window early, as a normal life for him consisted of looking over his shoulder, wondering what picture he would see published next. Oliver remembered the day he decided to say _fuck it_ and let them get their shot. For so long, he had sat back to allow them to capture the persona they wanted to see in order to sell papers. The way he saw it was that as long as the company's reputation remained intact and Oliver never lost complete sight of himself, he could deal with the bad press and playboy reputation.

After all, he was never going to be a model citizen, so he didn't see much point pretending to be his parents. Oliver did think about what his parents would think of him sometimes, but that was something he would never know for sure, as being part of a family, knowing what love felt like, that was something that was reserved for someone else.

Sure, there had been a few girls in his life, ones that he cared about, but he always screwed up. It almost felt like clockwork, only when they left, Oliver didn't miss them for longer than a week. And while he knew next to nothing about love, he knew that wasn't right. That was why this arrangement with Chloe was perfect. When they were ready, they would walk away, no excuses, no awkward goodbyes. Just cut the cord and continuing living.

Continuing living... without her.

_Could he do that?_

"Mr. Queen?"

Snapping from his trance, Oliver looked up his driver, who gestured his head towards the window, pointing out that they had arrived. "Thanks Sam," Oliver said before getting out of the car. "Say hi to Arlene and the kids for me."

Sam nodded and took off, so Oliver turned and walked inside the building, smiling at the doorman as he entered. Pressing the elevator button, he felt himself freeze when he felt his phone buzz.

Did she change her mind? Did something come up?

Shaking his head, Oliver muttered to himself, "Get a grip." Sure enough, when he opened the phone, her text was waiting for him.

_Running a little late, but trust me, it'll be worth it._

Once again, Oliver shook his head, wondering what the heck he was so worried about. Even if she couldn't come tonight, this was still a night to celebrate. But that didn't stop that little voice in his head from reminding him that Chloe was the whole reason he had come back to Metropolis tonight.

Stepping out of the elevator, Oliver dropped down his briefcase, having no intention of looking at work for at least twenty-four hours. He knew it wasn't likely that she would take a day off working, but Oliver figured he might be able to convince her tonight.

After grabbing a bottle of champagne, he contemplated grabbing two glasses, but he thought better of it. Popping it open, he filled up his glass soon after, ready to sip it, only the sound of the elevator security system caused him to re-think his recent decision.

It was just one drink and it wasn't as if they hadn't had drinks together before. One glass, a few minutes to take in the moment... what harm could come from that?

After filling up the second glass, he activated the elevator, smiling at the perfection of her timing. Walking back to the elevator, he had enough time to set down the bottle before it opened to reveal Chloe, who eyed him curiously once she saw the champagne glasses.

There was even a hesitance in her step, but that didn't stop Chloe from taking the glass once she had fully exited the elevator. "You know that you don't have to get me drunk, right?"

Oliver walked back to where he had left his glass. "I also know champagne won't get you drunk."

Pausing in her sip, Chloe took a second to appreciate how good this was. She also considered the likelihood that this was actual champagne, as opposed to the sparkling stuff that she had become accustomed to. Sure, she would always be partial to the expensive strong stuff, but the bubbly wasn't bad either.

Of course, that led her to wonder why he cracked open a bottle tonight, why he came back a day early, why he was so insistent on seeing her now. Then it hit her. "The Schullman deal... you closed it didn't you?" When his grin widened, Chloe chuckled. "Lex is going to be pissed."

He should have known that she would narrow down the reason right away, along with the fact that Luthorcorp was his main competitor in acquiring the Pacific start-up, but in the end, pissing off Lex was only a perk. It wasn't anywhere near the list of reasons he felt amazing tonight, but that didn't stop him from saying, "I think we can agree that Lex's happiness is far from our objective."

Chloe chuckled as she took a look around, noticing a particular person missing this celebration. While she figured they were going to be alone before, hearing about his recent victory changed everything. "Is Hal joining us?"

Oliver shook his head. "He congratulated me, but he's busy with work. I mean, it's not like he could fly out here at a whim." It wasn't a complete truth, as Hal would often buy plane tickets spontaneously, but this was one night where Oliver wanted to ensure he had privacy with her.

But she couldn't help but be a little stunned. "So... out of everyone... you're celebrating with me?" They may have been talking more and he did mention that he wanted to see her, but this was uncharted waters for them. This was an important win for Oliver, so there had to be someone else he could have called.

_Right?_

Sensing her confusion, Oliver put the glass back down. "Let's see, I could go out, get plastered, go home with a random woman." An option that obviously didn't hold any appeal to him, but he soon lost his words as he stared into her eyes, recognizing how the green reflected in the soft light. So he threaded his fingers through her hair and leaned in until his forehead collided with hers, taking in everything. Her eyes, her lips, even the light almond scent from the coffee she had recently consumed. It was that moment that led to him lifting his head back up, finally finding the words he meant to say. "Or I could stay here with a woman who actually understands why I'm celebrating."

Chloe swallowed hard as the truth came through, trying to hide her surprise while she leaned towards his touch. Was it wrong that she missed it this much? Parting her lips, she tried to say something, anything, but the happiness on his face shut her up. Reaching up, she took his hand down, fingers interlocking as they rested at their sides. The whole time, they just stared at each other, a moment of welcome silence amid the chaos they lived in every day.

But Oliver soon shook out of it, taking a step back, his hand slipping from hers. He wasn't quite sure what was happening there, however, the strangest part was that... he didn't seem to mind being close to her like that. It was such an innocent act, but as he held his glass, he stared back at where he stood before, realizing that he had been so caught up, he didn't even realize she was still wearing her coat.

"You know you can take that off, right?" he said, almost desperate to break the silence in the room.

Momentarily glancing down at herself, Chloe sighed, as she had forgotten about that. "Not if we want to get drunk first," she replied slowly, hearing Oliver almost choke on his drink in the process. After finishing her champagne, Chloe smirked as she pulled the tie from her coat. "Because correct me if I'm wrong," she said, meticulously undoing the buttons, "but last I checked your favourite colour is green."

The coat fell to her feet and Chloe had to admit, this went a lot better than she expected. Before she left her apartment, it had seemed like a crazy idea. In fact, it took a healthy amount of time to convince herself that she could do this. After all, she had _never _done anything like this before, but the look on his face was worth every step of worry. For while other guys made her self-conscious about her figure, from day one, Oliver made her proud of it.

This time was no exception, as his throat went completely dry upon seeing the lingerie that barely covered anything on her body. Abandoning his glass on the table, he grinned as he took in the sight in front of him. "And just when I didn't think it was possible... my day just got better."

The way he looked at her right now, the silent confidence in the way he walked towards her, it cemented the fact that she couldn't have timed this better if she tried. So when he was close enough, Chloe pulled at his shirt, hard enough to dislodge a few buttons, but that only made her job easier.

"You've had a productive day Mr. Queen, why don't you have a seat and let me do the work?"

Oliver smiled back at her before descending his lips to hers, wasting little time undoing the bra clasp as they walked backwards, while Chloe had just enough time taking care of his belt and pants before they fell onto the couch.

Shrugging off her bra, Chloe tossed it aside, almost grateful she could wear it again. While she didn't mind it when Oliver played it rough, he had ruined more lingerie than she wanted to admit. But that wasn't on her mind for long as she straddled his lap, grinding down on him calculatedly, knowing his boxers were still on and taking note of the groan that escaped him.

Taking hold of his shirt once more, Chloe undid the rest of buttons, this time one by one by one. It was an act that caused his impatience to grow, a detail she could sense when she leaned in to move the shirt down his arms.

"Tease," he whispered before bringing his head forward to kiss the side of her neck, his lips sucking against her skin.

Chloe was tempted to laugh, as his word choice was all that comment was, but the contact caused her to gasp instead. However, she insisted on maintaining the slower rhythm. "Do you want this to be over in a couple of minutes?"

"At the rate you're going, it may get that way."

"Funny," Chloe retorted as she reached back to remove her underwear, willing to oblige him now because she could feel how wet she was. "I thought your restraint was better than that." As her lips pursed together, she figured there would be a consequence for saying that, and sure enough, Oliver would soon take hold of her arms and moved them both so he hovered atop of her on the couch.

"Why... are you talking?"

"You started it..." Chloe said, her thoughts interrupted as he moved his hands to palm her breasts. "With a lie." She had every intention of following the whole way through, but it was clear that Oliver had another plan. Apparently instead of sitting back, he was going to show her just how satisfied he was. And Chloe was far from being uncooperative in this matter, as she was sure that she was muttering some sort of gibberish as his hands maintained their grip while his tongue slid across her pert nipple.

"Ollie..." she whispered, craning her back to allow him to take more of her in his mouth.

Oliver obliged her, but at the same time, his eyes cracked open, as he almost got off on watching the euphoria in her expression. However, he didn't want to leave her job unfinished, so he moved backwards to slide her underwear the rest of the way down her legs, tossing his boxers in a similar direction soon after. Her eyes had opened when he moved his hands back up her legs, and by the time he got to his destination, it was apparent how wet she was.

Expertly tracing the outside of her opening, he heard her murmur, but he decided to prove her wrong and show her how solid his restraint was. Moving his finger away, he tasted her on his tongue and he could see her move her body in anticipation. Satisfied, he said, "You missed me, missed this."

There was a shudder in her breath as he got closer, but she soon found it within her to smirk. "This, sure... but you..." The questioning tone was enough for Oliver to claim her lips once more, his tongue providing him the verbal satisfaction he needed through the deep moan she gave.

**~0~**

This was wrong... wasn't it? Chloe wanted to think it was, considering that they hadn't exactly done this before. But she remained where she was, her hand flat against his bare chest, her head resting on his shoulder. There was something calming about being here, as for a few minutes, or for a whole night, problems disappeared... and life didn't feel as fucked up as it usually was.

But even at its finest, escapism was just that. Chloe knew that she couldn't stay here until sunrise, or at least... she couldn't like this. She had stayed here once before, but that was different. Sleep had hardly been on the agenda, and _this_ was even further from it.

Peering up at him, he seemed... peaceful. It was an observation that made it even harder for her to leave, but she couldn't let that stop her exit either. Moving backward in the bed slowly, she rotated her body, trying not to disturb him, but it was all for nought.

"Chloe?" he called out, his eyes still closed when she had turned her head towards him.

"Go back to sleep," she said even though she knew he wouldn't listen. His eyes soon opened, so Chloe stopped moving upon recognizing the slight disappointment in his eyes. "I... I have to go."

"I know," he said softly. "There's just something that's been bothering me. Why did you ask me that question about my parents?" He knew this was an odd time to ask this, but he had to before it was too late. Back when she asked that question during the interview, there was this lingering feeling that it meant more to her than she let on and Oliver wanted to know if he was right.

Chloe stared ahead as she continued to sit on the bed. After a moment, she settled on telling him the reason she had told herself after hearing his answer. "I thought it would serve as quote material, a way to understand the man."

"Thought?"

Taking a deep breath, Chloe should have known he would see through that. He barely knew her, yet he read her better than most. The only problem was that the truth wasn't something she ever intended on telling him, but in the end, there wasn't much point in lying now. "Honestly, it served a bit of a selfish purpose because I…kind of know how you feel."

"The accident," he said, knowing that he had some explaining to do as Chloe's head whipped around.

"How… How could you know about that?" Chloe knew that she never told him, Oliver knew no one in her life, besides maybe Matt, but he had no reason to betray that confidence. However, that really didn't matter because when she looked at him now, she no longer felt naked, she felt transparent.

"Short answer – I did a background check before offering you the article." It wasn't much of an answer, nor was it what she wanted to hear from him, but he pressed on, trying to rationalize it. "My life is practically on display, so I consider it a slight level of the playing field."

Because it wasn't like he expected to get to know her outside of the article. Before, he never expected her to mean anything to him, but she deserved the truth, no matter how hard it was to stomach the look on her face right now.

"I never asked to learn part of your life," was her quiet response, the nerves in her breath still apparent. It wasn't like she read the tabloids; the only reason she knew about Oliver before the article was because he made the tabloids' work too easy.

"Well, when you're in my position, you realize that there is no such thing as being too careful." Sitting up, he tried to find her eyes once more, but instead she shuffled further away from him. He wanted to stop her, but he knew that if she left, he would completely understand her decision. "I would love to apologize, but I can't." Nor did Oliver regret it, because it was that check that convinced him to pursue Chloe as hard as he did. If he didn't then maybe... maybe he wouldn't have gotten to know her like this.

Swallowing hard, Chloe said, "I don't like it, but I get it." That was hard to admit, but she put herself in his shoes, and she couldn't blame him for trying to find someone he could trust. "I just... there are things that I'd rather people _not _know about me."

People looked at her differently once they knew about her parents. There were default settings, none of which Chloe wanted to see or hear. Pity and condolences didn't change the truth, nor it didn't help her now. Instead, it only reminded her of unwanted memories.

She noticed his hand come into her peripheral vision, but Oliver soon retracted it. "I thought about never telling you this, but that's not fair to you." Finally looking back up at him, she noticed him staring away from her. He even shuffled over an extra bit to give her some more space. "I understand what it's like to have your world turn upside down in one night. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

It was that response that made Chloe realize why he broached this subject. He knew all along, but he levelled with her now because he figured that she would be ready to hear it. Not to mention the fact that he understood almost every inch of that pain. Even if this arrangement had called her perception of Oliver Queen into question, the one thing that Chloe knew about him with certainty that he grew up alone. The world was at his fingertips, but at night, it was just him, wanting to give up the world for something that most kids take for granted.

"I was almost grown up when it happened, and my mom's…. well, she's still alive." She released her grip on the mattress and moved towards him, as Oliver seemed frozen in his spot. "I found a way to work through the awkward years with Lois. It's not like I had to grow up without parents."

"Still… it can't have been easy."

"Whoever said life was?" Chloe scoffed as she placed her hand on his bicep, resulting in him glancing over his shoulder to look at her. "The best we can do is work hard to make the best possible scenario, right?"

"Right." Turning his body back, Oliver wrapped an arm around her shoulders, both of them leaning against the head board before her head fell to rest against his chest once more.

"So when you offered me the article, it really had nothing to do with this?" Chloe asked, gesturing between their naked bodies.

"I can understand how that's a little hard to believe coming from me," Oliver admitted, although it was somewhat a factor. She kept their encounter a secret, meaning that for her, it would be strictly business, that she would cut the crap. But when he learned more about her childhood, Oliver realized they had more in common than he thought. "I wanted someone who had a chance of _getting_ me. Someone who would be constructive yet critical, someone who would see the truth."

Based on what he had seen, Oliver had this suspicion that if anyone would understand, that if he had a chance of the truth getting through… the message had to go through her. Did he think she would accept? No. But he had every intention of finding that out for himself after getting in contact with her cousin, because he had no other way of getting in contact with Chloe. Or at least, he didn't until fate intervened at the best possible moment.

"And?"

"It's one of the smartest decisions I've ever made." Even though it wasn't much of a decision, it was a hope… one that came through for once.

Chloe wanted to smile, but something just made a lot more sense now. "So the multiple cheques…"

"Figured you had payments to make," Oliver replied, quick to finish her thought once her voice trailed. It's not like Oliver usually gave cheques like that. A lesser person would pretend not to spend one of them, capitalizing on the generosity, but with Chloe, he knew it would take some time for her to consider that he meant well. "When you finally cashed it in, I…" Oliver couldn't express the relief he felt. "When you can't do anything to help your own family, you try your best to allow someone else help their own."

"You knew," she said, her head sliding down to the pillow she thought she had abandoned for the night. But she didn't focus long on that thought, as another 'gift' of his came to her mind. "What about the flowers?"

Oliver grinned guiltily before answering. "At the time, I figured if I couldn't help, then the least I could do was be selfish and offer the chance of round two." Shrugging, he gave her a quick smile. "It's not like I was ever unopposed to seeing you naked again."

Chloe shook her head, a quiet laugh escaping. "I can't believe I changed my mind."

"Sure you can't," Oliver replied sarcastically, moving his body to hover above hers. "Tell me again that I'm adequate in this area."

"Wow," Chloe said, her eyebrows raised, "that wound really stuck."

"Not when it's a lie," he retorted.

Chloe clucked her tongue, pushing her upper body up momentarily to whisper, "Is it?"

Leaning his head down, Oliver stared hard into her eyes. "I'll make you regret that."

As Oliver's hands wrapped around her, ready to prove his point, Chloe couldn't help but laugh once more. "Somehow, I doubt that."


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

Leaning forward in his chair, Oliver was dreading the work that he had to get done tonight. Since he took that first night off with Chloe, he had been buried in paperwork. It was just the basic due diligence, but that always took more time than anticipated. Not to mention that this was one acquisition that he had taken seriously from the beginning, so he couldn't back down now. Oliver was never one to shy away from a challenge, even at work, and he rarely relied on his employees, but once the deal was signed, he often accepted whatever consequences were laid in front of him.

This time, he couldn't do that. His employees had forecasted the numbers for personnel loss before they pursued this deal and those numbers had stayed consistent throughout the negotiations. For some reason, Oliver was willing to accept them before, but that wasn't the case anymore. So while most people were off for the night to be with their families, Oliver was pouring over the numbers, trying to find a way. After all, Queen Industries was the closest thing he had to a family. Therefore, he would sit here as long as it took, even if meant ignoring the call coming through on his phone.

After seeing that Chloe had hung up before it went to voicemail, Oliver was tempted to turn off his phone, but to his surprise, his phone lit up once more with her name. He dropped his pen to tilt the screen towards him, almost in disbelief. Her rule was that you got four rings, if it didn't work, let it go. Yet tonight, she persisted.

In a lot of ways, this whole arrangement had extended past what he expected, as he assumed Chloe would get bored and moved on. But that wasn't the case, or at least, it wasn't tonight.

He thought about testing the theory further, wondering if she _would _leave a message if he didn't pick up again, but instead, he answered this call. His mouth had opened to greet her but her voice came through first.

"I don't need you... I just need a place to crash." Chloe knew that she was being intrusive over something petty, and the last thing she wanted was to bother him during this time. However, she needed space from her life, a different set of four walls and probably a cup of coffee. As hard as it was for her to admit to herself, he was the only person she _could _call tonight.

"Okay," he replied immediately, knowing that was about all he could provide right now. Apparently that was all she needed to hear, as the phone clicked not long after.

As he waited for her to arrive, the seconds ticked by, narrated by the clock behind him. It was something Oliver hardly had the time to notice before because he was usually so absorbed in his work or distracted by someone else that the repetitive noise never reached his ears. Now, the incessant ticking was the only thing he could hear.

Oliver rationalized that once she was here, he would be able to focus again. If nothing else, it was a theory he was willing to test after allowing her to come up. Once the elevator arrived, she exited quickly, setting her coat aside as she walked right past him. "Thanks," was the only word she spoke.

"Last door on the left," Oliver called out, doubting that she knew where the spare bedroom was. It was a response Chloe took wordlessly, but not silently, as her steps echoed in the hallway. Oliver glanced down, recognizing that this was all in his upstairs brain for once, but that didn't make it easier to work.

Eventually, he was able to quiet the noise in his head with the fact that he wasn't used to much sound around here because he didn't have many visitors. Hal minded his own business, as he slept if he was working, or he found some company to keep him busy when he was visiting. Otherwise, it was the basic tour, the romp in the sheets, the stupid giggles and girly stares. That... was it.

That's why tonight was unique; Chloe really did want nothing to do with him. She never even looked at him after she first entered. Oddly enough, that realization made it worse, as Oliver achieved silence around him, but he still couldn't focus on his work. He kept wanting to look over his shoulder, wondering how Chloe picked here as a place of refuge. At least that much was clear.

Shaking his head, Oliver realized that he wasn't going to be able to work without at least giving her a proper greeting, so he pushed back his chair, deciding that a trip to the kitchen was necessary before he saw her.

**~0~**

What was she thinking?

A few minutes ago, this seemed like such a great idea, but now it was anything but. While she would be able to avoid Lois and Clark here, this wasn't why she had agreed to this arrangement and the last thing she wanted was for Oliver to get the wrong idea about this.

Glancing down at her phone, she recognized the usual amount of missed calls, leading to her rolling her eyes. Who did Lois think she was kidding? Did she really think that Chloe didn't know what was going on?

Chloe collapsed on the bed, wondering what she could do from here. It wasn't like she could leave now, because he would ask her what happened the next time they saw each other. While Chloe did trust Oliver, this... this wasn't something she felt like explaining. So she turned off her phone, shoving it into her pant pocket, ready to move on from that train of thought when there was a knock on the door.

She was hesitant to open it, but as she approached the door, Chloe figured the least she could do was apologize. However, Oliver stopped her words by breaking the silence first. "I, uh, made some coffee... if you're interested." Chloe narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was talking about, but it appeared that Oliver had anticipated as much. "Hal showed me how."

Chuckling, Chloe's hand turned the knob to open the door between them. There he was, with an expression she had grown to know over the past few weeks. It was that same calmness he exuded for himself, but beneath it all, a hint of concern as he held out the mug, not sure what else to do.

"Thanks," she whispered before reaching forward to take the steaming mug. Her fingers curled around the surface as she took the scent in, seconds before taking a sip. It wasn't bad actually, or at least, it wasn't for someone who didn't make it often. _Why_ he had decided to start was beyond her, but Chloe wasn't about to ask.

Recognizing the satisfaction on her lips as the mug came back down, Oliver nodded, ready to leave her in peace. But he stopped after a few steps to look back at her. "Do you want to talk at all?"

"Not really."

"Fair enough," Oliver replied, figuring that it was only fair that he gave it a shot. "Make yourself at home. I won't tell anyone you're here."

With that, Chloe bowed her head, sipping her cup once more as she went back into the room. It wasn't like he knew anyone who would want to know where she was, but she looked back towards the empty hallway nonetheless. It wasn't much of a stretch for him to assume that Chloe was avoiding something or someone, but it was still kind of sweet for him to say that.

After a sigh, Chloe turned her head to take in the empty room around her. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was going to go crazy if she stayed in the room the whole night, so she thought that some fresh air to clear her head. Coffee mug in hand, she walked back through the hallway, down the stairs, right past Oliver, who was still working, despite the later hour. Arriving at the terrace door, she pulled it back, ready to face the night air.

**~0~**

A few hours later, Oliver looked up and noticed Chloe still standing outside. Every now and then, he could see her profile through the glass, a familiar expression on her face. It was almost haunting to him, as he had worn a similar expression on more than one occasion.

Though at the same time, this... this was Chloe Sullivan. No masks, no sarcasm. True, her confidence was still there, as she stood comfortably, but reflected in her eyes was a poignant tranquility.

The part that stuck with Oliver, the fact that kept him from glancing back down at his work was that Chloe was standing right in front of him, allowing him to see the vulnerability that she had worked so hard to hide before. Not wanting to stand back forever, he got up from his desk, knowing that he had been looking at this paperwork for twelve, maybe fourteen hours straight. His eyes could use a break and Oliver could feel that as much as she wanted to be alone, she needed someone right now.

Pulling back the terrace door, he announced his presence as he entered. "Hey."

"Hey," Chloe replied, downing the last of the coffee in her mug, even though it had gone cold hours ago. Yet even if it was warm, it wouldn't have helped. She frowned slightly at that fact, but it disappeared before she glanced in his direction. "Sorry if I woke you."

Oliver shook his head. "I don't really sleep much." It wouldn't surprise him if she didn't believe him, but between work and other things, that didn't leave much time for sleep and lately, he had been thinking about what she had told him all those nights ago.

It was before they were together, before she could look him in the eye with genuine respect. Just a dark night in the Ace of Clubs, a conversation that took a much different tone, but the words were just as important. Some stung more than others, but he realized that the old cliché was right: the truth hurt.

For once, it also stuck. She got through to him, even when she didn't want to. Heck, even when she wanted to drive a hundred-foot wedge between them, she never backed down from being honest. It was part of the reason he hired her in the first place, but he never expected to appreciate that facet of her character in a personal capacity.

As he stood next to her now, eyes staring out into the dark night, he realized that there was something peaceful about having quiet company on the terrace for once. While Chloe was hardly a platonic relation, tonight she was and he didn't seem to mind. They could just stand here, no expectations, no lies and just... be.

"Do you ever," Chloe said, trying to repress a shiver, "look back at your life and wonder why you did certain things?"

She had tried to hide it, he would give her that, but Oliver had caught the action, so he leaned back and picked a blanket off from a chair and draped it carefully over her shoulders. "I think we all do."

Peering back as the material enveloped her body, Chloe wanted to say thanks, but for some reason the words wouldn't come out. Instead, she allowed herself to accept the fact that Oliver's hand lingered on her shoulder a second longer than usual.

Eventually, she let out a sigh before dipping her head. "I messed up on so many things and I was so narrowed minded on what I wanted that I never looked outside of it." Chuckling dryly, she admitted, "You've one of the few spontaneous decisions that I've ever made."

Oliver's eyes narrowed, as he wasn't sure where she was going with this. "Is this your way of saying that it's over?"

"What?" Chloe's head immediately popped up to negate his concern. "No, not at all." She wasn't sure where _that_ came from, considering that was the last thing on her mind right now. But after a few seconds of silence, she understood that he didn't know everything about her yet, so there wasn't much of an alternate conclusion to come to. "I'm just a little reflective today and I needed to go somewhere where I wouldn't be judged for wanting silence."

With that, Oliver was reminded that she didn't want to talk, and as much as he wanted to tell her that he was willing to listen, he couldn't force her to trust him. He swallowed hard as that sunk in, but it was for the best.

Carefully, he took the empty mug from her hands before moving away from her, ready to say his peace and walk away. "For the record, it's not your fault that Lex had it out for you and ruined your aspirations at the _Daily Planet_."

Chloe did seem happy in her current life as a freelancer, but there was something that held her back. He had no idea what it was, but it likely lead to moments like this. Moments where she wondered how on earth she ended up in this position, sleeping with him. However, as crazy as it sounded in his own head, Oliver was glad she was so quick to deny that she was ending things.

But as his eyes met hers before he turned away, something in Chloe ignited. "Lex didn't fire me." It was the story almost everyone knew, the story that everyone would have believed, as the truth was stranger than fiction in this case. "Yes, the timing was coincidental, but I quit, and Lex had nothing to do with it." With a laugh, she added, "Although he probably cheered when I packed up my things."

"Why then?" Oliver said quickly, immediately wanting to take it back. "You know what; this is none of my business."

"No, it's fine. I should probably talk about this with someone." It wasn't the objective of tonight, but Oliver had never given her a reason not to trust him and he had kept to his word so far. As their eye contact lingered, Chloe realized that maybe this time, it was okay to let someone in.

Yet Oliver insisted, "This isn't what you came for and I'm going to respect your wishes."

She heard him take another step, the echo enough for her to speak once more. "For years, I dreamed about the _Daily Planet,_ working in that bullpen, and I actually got it." The outline of the globe was still visible, despite the hour, so Chloe thought about all of the good days she had spent. Her first day, her first cover story, working with Clark and Lois nearby. "But one day...it felt like I was being suffocated."

Her head dipped again, knowing how silly her reason seemed now, but at the time, it consumed her. To an extent, it still did. "He was everywhere, making _her _happy. Now they're getting married, while I'm... I'm still a mess."

Oliver tried to contain his surprise as Chloe confessed a lot more than he anticipated. All that happened... because of a guy? Was there really a guy that dumb to let someone like her walk away? More importantly, was that why she was so vehement on keeping her distance from moving on personally and professionally?

"So are you..."

"No, I don't want him back... I even gave them my blessing." It wasn't much of a blessing, rather than a shocked admission because she wanted it to look like her life was together again. Even if it wasn't, her and Jimmy was a story that ended a long time ago and there was no need for a sequel. "Don't get me wrong, he's a sweet guy, one has the best intentions, despite his shy nature. But that's..."

Chloe laughed. "When we first saw each other again at the _Daily Planet_... we thought it was fate." Or at least, that was how Chloe saw it, as she had seen one relationship path die unexpectedly a few months before. Plus, they had known each other a decent amount of time, so the relationship sort of... fell into place.

After all, Jimmy was, well, he was safe. They had interned at the DP together, he had been her first time, but what mattered at the time was that Jimmy was a nice guy, a good truce between the two guys who had showed interest in her in the past. But sometimes a truce ends up being more of a compromise, and the funny thing about a compromise is that no one ends up winning. "Truth was that we were two young and naive college graduates that didn't know any better, even when we were engaged."

They held onto each other because it was easier that way than to admit they were growing apart. Everyone told them that it wasn't working, so they were so determined to prove them all wrong. "We fast-tracked the wedding date because... because we had been together for so long, but we were also fighting to stay together. I guess we thought that if we were married... things would be better."

Little did they know that on their wedding day, they both wrote our respective notes, got into their respective cars and drove as far away from the church as possible, not knowing that the other person was doing the same thing. In the end, everyone was right, and that was a hard thing to hear, even after she walked away from the church and into her mother's care home, wondering how she had let herself to make that mistake.

Stretching out the bare fingers on her left hand, Chloe sighed. "Safe to say we were wrong."

Oliver stared intently at her as she let it out all out. This story wasn't the easiest for her to tell, but it didn't feel like the Chloe he had gotten to know these past few months. The Chloe he knew, she was a completely different person, but he had to remind himself that he hadn't known her that long. Walking closer to her, it made Oliver realize that maybe this story was linked to why she accepted his offer.

He didn't have the heart to ask that question now, but he did break the silence. "If you gave up your dream job for him, then you better have gotten something decent in return."

Chloe grinned as she peered up to him, knowing there wasn't much of a 'win' for her. Still, she replied, "To be honest, I got everything else." By that, she meant that she kept her apartment, as they agreed to live there when they were married. "I mean, we tried to work together, but we couldn't."

That was a partial lie, one he probably saw through, but she didn't care. Chloe didn't want to tell him that she was the one with a problem. She had always been professional, but for weeks, even months, the whole office talked about the fall-out, about how they had seen it coming. The bullpen also saw him moving on right in front of her.

One day, Chloe decided that she had enough, and if she couldn't move on personally, she would find another way. "I figured that I could write anywhere and the dream had been achieved, so it was time to find a new one."

After a shake of her head, Chloe scoffed. "But that was the only Chloe I knew... and he's the only functional relationship I've had." It was a sad thing to admit out loud, but all of her frustration likely lay behind that single sentence of truth. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

In this moment, Oliver wanted to reach out, to comfort her over the pain she had been holding onto for so long. But instead he just stared ahead, knowing that what she really wanted was for him to hear her out. "I'd offer you a job, but I'm pretty sure you're too proud for that."

"You'd be right," Chloe replied. The world had taught her to not rely on anyone more than she had to and this was no exception. "I'll find my way... I always have. The problem is that patience isn't one of my strong suits."

Turning towards her, Oliver asked once more, "Then are you sure that you want to keep this going? I could be keeping you from finding what you need." That wasn't an easy sentence for Oliver to say, but if she could find happiness elsewhere, he was willing to give her an easy way out. What he didn't expect was how quickly she responded to that comment.

"Oliver, you are one of the few things in my life that make sense right now." Glancing down, she took his hand in hers, their fingers intertwining upon contact. That was just the way he was, as no matter what she did, no matter what she said... he accepted her. "And I'm sorry that I just unloaded that on you... you probably didn't want to hear about all of my problems."

Quite the contrary in Oliver's mind, as his other hand lifted up to rest his fingers just under her chin. "I'm actually glad that you can talk to me."

"Well," Chloe said, her eyes coming up to meet his, "you're not too shabby of a listener."

"Was that a compliment?"

Chloe grinned. "Maybe."

Seeing the way even the tiniest of grins lit up her face, Oliver decided that he wanted to keep that look on her face for awhile. "Do you know what we're going to do?"

"You're going to make me forget all about my ex?" Chloe suggested, ready for just about _anything_ at this point.

"Something like that." Their lives weren't perfect, but they deserved to talk about something that didn't have a bittersweet tone to it. Oliver had done a lot of dumb things in his life, so he was hoping that maybe a story or two would lighten the mood a little.

Walking her back to the chairs, he let go of her hand to gesture her to sit down. "Have a seat."

"Okay," Chloe replied, curious as to where this was going.

"I'm going to tell you the story of how my senior prank at prep school went incredibly wrong." He laughed as highlights of the story played in his mind, combined with the surprised look on her face. "But first, do you want some more coffee?"

"No, I'm fine," Chloe replied, not knowing that the denial was likely for the best.

For inside the glass stood Hal, staring out at the two blondes as they sat in their chairs, laughing and smiling without a care of the world around them. Another long layover had brought him to Oliver's during the early hours in the morning, and while he had debated earplugs on the way up, it turned out that they had another activity in mind.

Last time, he figured that his friend was screwed, as it was easy to see that Oliver felt more for the reporter than he let on. But seeing them interact together now, Hal could see it was more than that. Chloe's eyes were sparkling in the night sky and she seemed genuinely happy, even as she leaned across to smack Oliver's arm, as he likely was being a smart ass.

There was a small part of Hal that wanted to know what their reaction would be if he interrupted them, but instead, he just smirked before heading towards the guest room. Because he hadn't seen Oliver this happy in years and it didn't feel right to tarnish the memory.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: There was a time I thought about scrapping this story. I had three lines of dialogue for the prologue, a disjointed ending, a bunch of scenes from failed fics, and an incredible fear of the storyline. Then I started to write the dialogue in this chapter and suddenly, it was a story I didn't want to let go. While I've written plenty since, I hoped that you enjoyed this chapter. This fic exists because of it._


	12. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

As she began to stir, Chloe immediately sensed that the bed she was lying in felt too familiar to be the one in the guest room. Even before she opened her eyes, she knew that she was in Oliver's bed, but this time, she was alone. The other side was still made and the pillow was cold, so from that, she was able to piece together what happened last night.

Chloe didn't even remember falling asleep, but the fact that they could just talk all night, that she could be that comfortable with him was amazing. As the stories flew back to her memory, Chloe grinned, ready to face the day ahead. So she pulled back the sheets, knowing that she was wearing last night's clothing, but it had appeared that Oliver had bought her fresh clothes, as the telltale bag sat within inches of the bed.

Normally, she would give him a piece of mind for this, but he always timed his purchases well, as the only other time he attempted this was when she had no clothes with her... lingerie and coat aside. There was also the fact that he considered the little things to help Chloe accept the gesture. For example, he would include the receipt in the bag so Chloe knew that he didn't break the bank on it, not that he could.

Then there was the fact that it was just a plain long-sleeve top, which was fine because Chloe could survive in her jeans for another morning. After she slipped the shirt over her head, she walked over to the window to peer through the blinds to gauge the weather. Based on the wind, it had clearly cooled down since their talk, hence the long sleeves, but she paused for a second, taking a moment to appreciate the beautiful view in front of her. It was something Chloe didn't take much time to notice before, but that was probably because she knew that this view cost a pretty penny and she _was _usually preoccupied with someone else.

Turning back, Chloe took note of the lack of decor in the room. It had the basic possessions, the necessities of a bedroom, but it didn't feel like a home, just a space. Approaching his dresser, she noticed a single photo frame there, the one personal touch there was. It was an old photo of Oliver and his parents, something that had seen plenty of use over the years. There was a fold down the horizontal middle and even the frame couldn't hide the imperfect edges.

Looking over her shoulder, Chloe visualized a young Oliver holding the photo in his hand, wondering why him, why them. The plane crash was an accident, but Chloe knew better than anyone that that word doesn't coax a better reaction from a confused kid.

Chloe was a kid herself when it happened, but she felt for Oliver as she watched the national television coverage. It was an event that her that much more grateful for her parents, but now it was also something they had in common. It wasn't the ideal trait to share, but it allowed Chloe to see Oliver and not just Oliver Queen.

Because since that coverage, the whole world had seen Oliver Queen, the myth and legend, grow up. However, in these few months, Chloe wondered if they had ever seen the _man_ grow up, because last night, she saw a very different side of him.

He gave her everything she needed, including the things she didn't think she needed. And not once did he try to push for something more, even going as far to let her sleep alone in his bed, while he slept...somewhere else. That didn't scream playboy. Not even close.

Placing the photo frame back down, Chloe couldn't help but wonder... how wrong were they about him? How wrong had _she _been about him? Because she meant what she told him last night. Somehow he had transformed from a distraction to a confidante and he never questioned the change. Instead, he seemed to enjoy it.

_What did _that _mean?_

It was a question that Chloe thought to herself, but an answer she wasn't too open to exploring just yet, especially once she noticed what time it was. It was a lot later than she was used to staying here, so she grabbed the bag and headed back towards the main area, where Oliver was sitting at his desk once more.

"Morning," she said from behind him.

Oliver dropped his pen and pushed his chair back. "Hey," he said, his face lighting up once he turned around. He was glad to see her wearing the shirt he had bought her and that her face looked refreshed this morning. It was clear how tired she was, because minutes she leaned against the back of the lounge chair, she was out like a light.

But in the meantime, they had exchanged some lighter stories, almost making them forget the reason that Chloe had showed up here in the first place. That worked for him just fine, because her smile was a much better sight, which included the one she was giving him right now. The sleep had done her well, which made Oliver glad that he had carried her from the terrace to his bed. There was a part of him that had wanted to crawl next to her, but he figured that space was probably best now.

However, Chloe could see that he didn't sleep as well, the bags under his eyes apparent, even as he smiled at her. "Don't tell me that I forced you to work the rest of the night."

"The couch is deceptively comfy," Oliver replied, not anticipating her to frown in response. "I didn't want to risk waking you or Hal, and I don't mind."

"Hal's here?"

Chuckling as he gestured his hand towards the kitchen. "He always abandons his jacket on a chair. The man is a big fan of midnight snacks."

Chloe matched his laughter, but she soon tightened her grip on her purse strap. "I should go, let you catch up."

"Actually," Oliver said, loosely taking his hand in hers. "Hal's probably out for a few more hours. In the meantime, maybe I could interest you in some breakfast?"

"Um, sure."

"Pancakes? French toast? Eggs?"

That all sounded amazing, but Chloe knew that she had to keep this simple. "Honestly just a piece of regular toast. I won't inconvenience you longer than I have to."

"Eggs it is." When she was about to protest, Oliver held a finger up to stop her. "They take five minutes to cook up and I wouldn't offer if I didn't intend on following through."

Chloe nodded, figuring that he wasn't going to let her win this time. However, she wasn't about to complain considering she couldn't remember the last time she had a breakfast that didn't consist of a muffin or bagel.

She sat back and watched him, quickly realizing that he was a natural in the kitchen. There was a fluidity to his movements, a rhythm even. However, as his movements began to slow, the look on his face also began to change. "What?"

"I have a... weird question to ask." After a sigh, Oliver decided that it was best to get this off his chest. "The guy... is that why you really started this? Because if it is...I never took you as someone who threw caution into the wind over something like that."

It was so sad, as the first thought that came into her mind was _Which time?_ In the end, she decided that it was only fair for her to come clean about both. "Cliff notes version... the night we met, it wasn't my finest hour, so I... used you to get over my frustration. After finding out after their engagement, I thought I could again, which is why I changed my mind."

"It's probably not what you want to hear," Chloe added as she dipped her head. "But it's the truth."

Oliver's lips pursed as he walked towards the cabinet to get a plate. "Don't feel too bad; that was what this was supposed to be."

Chloe caught the use of past tense, but she didn't see much use in questioning it. Because he was right. It was like that, but now... Chloe wasn't running. While before she bolted out, she was sitting here, about to be served scrambled eggs from the man she didn't even think knew how to boil water before this started. But she still grabbed her fork, ready to dig in.

It was incredible, and Chloe didn't just think that because she had been breakfast-food deprived for so long. "How on earth can you cook this well, yet you've avoided making coffee for so long?"

"For starters... I do eat. And thanks."

Chloe shook her head. "I should be saying that... again." After another bite, she glanced up once more. "For the record, your coffee wasn't too shabby. There's hope for you after all."

"Noted," Oliver said with a grin, reaching back to grab the fork he had left by the stove and before Chloe knew what was happening, he had stolen some of her breakfast.

"Hey!" Chloe exclaimed, moving her fork forward to cover her eggs from further attack from Oliver's fork, which led him to put up his hands up in defence after he took his bite.

"I'm done, I swear."

Moving her plate closer to her, Chloe smirked, "You better be."

Oliver chuckled as he took a step back, glad to see that she was enjoying it. From what he knew about her, she seemed to run on coffee and muffins. Leaning against the counter, he looked up in time to see his friend walk into the kitchen, his grin wide as he picked up his jacket.

"Morning to you both," Hal said, taking in the little details. The coffee in the machine, Chloe's different shirt, and most importantly, Chloe calmly eating breakfast after a quiet night in the Queen penthouse. Yep, they were both screwed.

"Hey Hal."

"Chloe, looking gorgeous as always." Hal approached Chloe, taking her hand to kiss it gently, almost exclusively for the purpose of seeing his friend's scowl once he had turned towards him to fill up his coffee mug.

Chloe had been slightly surprised by the action, but she too had caught Oliver's reaction, so she chuckled as she dug back into her breakfast. "And you are as opportunistic as always. How often do you have layovers in Metropolis?"

"Less often than you think," Hal said as he placed the coffee pot back down. "You just seem to be here when I have them."

It was just playful banter, but that comment caused Chloe to push ahead her plate. There were still some eggs left, but it reminded her that it was time for her to go. "Well, have a safe flight," she said to Hal, moving back her chair, despite Oliver's imminent protest. Grinning at him, she added, "I'll see you later."

Oliver stood silently as she grabbed her purse and left the kitchen. Again, her shoes seemed to echo as she got further away, causing his hand to clench a particular slip of paper in his pocket, debating whether he would give it to her. Eventually he realized that he wanted to show her that he trusted her as much as she trusted him.

"Chloe, wait," he called from the kitchen, an action that caught Hal off guard as his friend nearly ran him over, but Oliver didn't care. Seeing Chloe standing in front of the elevator, he kept coming closer to her. When there barely an inch between them, his hand came out of his pocket. "Take this."

Staring at the yellow piece of paper, Chloe took it tentatively, opening it to reveal a sequence of numbers. She was about to ask what it was, but as she glanced back at the elevator, it hit her. "This is... the code to get in, isn't it?"

Oliver nodded. "In case I'm not here and you need to get away, you can come here whenever you want."

"Oliver," Chloe said, shaking her head. "This is a big deal, and I... I can't take this."

"I trust you, Chloe." A sentence that felt really good to say aloud, but also a sentence that was easier to say than he thought. "Please... take it."

She swallowed hard, realizing that she achieved much more here than she ever could have expected. When she came, all she wanted was a different ceiling to stare at, but instead, she had somehow gained his trust... all because he listened to her.

Leaning up on her tiptoes, Chloe grabbed the back of his neck to make kissing him easier. He deepened it almost immediately, his arms going around her back, but they both knew that they couldn't start anything right now, so they slowly backed away.

"Thank you," Chloe whispered before getting into the elevator.

Oliver closed the elevator gate behind her, his eyes never leaving hers until the door came down. Turning around, Oliver caught sight of Hal standing on the other side of the room. "What?" was the only word that was exchanged before Hal shook his head and went back into the kitchen, Oliver close behind. "You clearly have something to say, so go for it."

Hal scoffed as he downed the rest of his coffee. "You've known her for what... a few months? Chloe's right, the code is kind of a big deal."

"Your point?"

After putting his mug in the sink, Hal stared Oliver straight in his eyes. "Look man, she's a huge improvement over most of the women I see here, but how do you know she's not just trying for story number two? From what I know, you guys practically have a plot line for a romantic comedy here."

For a while, it was something that crossed Oliver's mind, but it disappeared soon after. If he judged her wrong, then so be it, but he didn't think that was the case. "If that's true, then I'll live with the consequences. But she has never lied to me... not about the stuff that matters."

"I hope you're right, Oliver."

He knew he was, but he didn't have a chance to express that, as his phone began to ring. Crossing the room, he picked it up.

Hal had followed him, wondering if it was Chloe again, but instead, he noticed his friend's eyes widen. "What?" Skimming his fingers through his hair in frustration, he quickly added, "No don't say anything. Let me talk to her first before we release any statement, you hear me?"

After that, he had hung up the phone, leading Hal to ask. "Oliver, what's going on?"

**~0~**

Chloe was half-convinced the world was going crazy this morning. The whole time she stood in line for her coffee at Metro, she heard a buzzing around her. Even the baristas that had known her for years were looking at her funny.

Convinced that maybe she needed more sleep than she thought, she headed straight home, grateful for the short distance from the coffee shop when the buzzing around her didn't stop. However, there wasn't even much peace to be had in her apartment, as on her couch, her cousin was waiting for her. Chloe had been anticipating this encounter, but she had hoped Lois would have waited at least until dinner to give her a piece of her mind.

"Lois, before you start –"

"You're forgiven for missing your own birthday party," Lois interjected, standing up to cross the room to hug Chloe. "You know, you could have told me that you had alternate plans, but there are more important things right now." Stepping back, Lois looked over her shoulder to ensure that the blinds were closed tight. "Clark's on his way with Chinese food and enough coffee to last at least today."

Chloe felt frozen as she watched Lois, who seemed to be acting crazy too. While she was happy for the easy forgiveness, as Chloe had never been much of a birthday person, despite her cousin's efforts to change her mind, she also knew that something else was going on. "What are you talking about?"

However, Lois didn't hear Chloe, as she was focusing on how she thought her younger cousin must be feeling like right now. Trying to lighten the mood, Lois smiled. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'm actually kind of proud of you cuz." That wouldn't be much of a surprise to her. "I mean, I wish you would have told me first, but I get it and you know Clark and I have got your back. I even told the reporters to shove the story up their ass."

"Reporters?"

That single word allowed everything to fall into place. The whispering, the dark apartment, Lois' reaction.

It was this moment that Lois realized, "Oh my god... you didn't know."

It had only been a few minutes, but Chloe felt like she had this pit in her stomach for hours. Even as she turned on her phone, Chloe was still hoping it wasn't true, but based on the number of missed calls, she knew it was a pointless thing to hope. The only silver lining was that she had miraculously managed to get back here without being swarmed by photographers. As it was, there were more photos of her being circulated than she ever wanted to see. After a quick web search, Chloe realized that she was on the cover of almost every national tabloid.

The first few photos were of her entering Oliver's building, the final one was from last night, as the groan-worthy caption of _Happy Birthday Miss Sullivan!_ stung more than she wanted to admit. That wasn't why she wanted to be with him last night, far from it. If anything, she was running from her birthday and this whole thing pulled it out of context.

The story was brought together by a store clerk that wanted fifteen minutes of fame, dishing how he had bought women's clothes on a few occasions, but the last few had been the same size. They had photographed her wearing the clothes, but even that wasn't the money shot.

That was the single shot of her and Oliver together on the terrace from last night. It was from a fair distance, as not too many buildings would have a good enough look at the terrace, but it appeared the paparazzi were more resourceful than she thought.

So she sunk down on her couch, knowing this was her nightmare and it was only going to get worse from here.

"The story broke ten minutes ago," Lois said as she watched her cousin. "But they wanted a quote from me, which is how I knew earlier."

"This can't be happening." Hurling her phone across the room, Chloe buried her face into her hands. "This isn't even a story."

"Hate to break it to you cuz," Lois replied, her hand pressed reassuringly on her shoulder. "But I worked in this biz. This is big news."

Bringing her head back up, Chloe realized that she couldn't sit still right now. Even if she couldn't go anywhere, pacing felt better than letting this feeling stew. "We're not even seeing each other, it's just casual."

"Right," Lois said with a scoff, as she knew her cousin never did casual relationships. But as time passed and Chloe didn't even try to justify it, Lois stood up quickly. "Oh my god, you're serious."

Shaking her head, Chloe stopped pacing to glance back at her closed blinds. "If I was going to lie, I'd say that we _were _dating." An hour ago, she had been staring through his blinds, wondering about how far they had come, but most of the time, Chloe had almost forgotten that he was famous. When she was with him, it was like no one else was there and even though they asked for nothing from each other; they seemed to give each other what they needed.

The response was understandable to Lois, but there was one thing that was bothering her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a part of Chloe that knew to expect this question, and there was a rational answer to it, but it wasn't related to the question she spoke next. "Why did you and Clark sneak around before you told me?"

Lois paused for a few seconds, her eyes widening as the words sunk in. "You knew about me and Clark beforehand?"

From there, Chloe explained the truth of the night in question, something that had filled in plenty of blanks for Lois, as she had no idea just how much they had let Chloe down that day. "Why didn't you mention anything?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Because then I would have to tell you what I did next." Maybe that would have been okay, as Lois would have given her a high-five and maybe even told her about Clark, but Chloe decided for once to let this be her little secret. All that time ago, she never anticipated Oliver insisting on her to write an article on his company and there was no way she would guess that she would accept a no strings arrangement with him. Most importantly, Chloe never expected to get to know him. It was supposed to be a one-and-done, but instead, it felt like the opposite was occurring.

"That long?"

"No, not even close." Chloe shrugged lightly as she headed towards the coffee she had abandoned at her entryway, knowing it wouldn't satisfy whatever she was feeling. "A couple of months, maybe?" In realizing that, Chloe wondered to herself how she had expected to get away with this without press attention. After all, it was his burden, his reputation and expectation.

Not able to tolerate the silence, Lois said. "I still wished you told us that you knew about us." Even if life surprised them that night, she knew that Clark and her felt guilty enough after finding out about her mother's complications. Now being the unintentional catalyst for this kind of event stung even more. However, Lois also knew her cousin, so she knew Chloe wouldn't agree to something like this lightly. "I know we can't apologize enough for what happened, but you know who Oliver Queen is... you had to know this might happen."

"I know this will sound crazy," Chloe replied, knowing that the protective side of her cousin was coming out, "but we don't know him." Walking past Lois to pick up her phone, Chloe stared at it, wondering how he must be handling this right now. He had probably experienced this many times before, but usually those women wanted to be on the covers. As she stood there, she pulled out the small slip of paper he had given her. Smirking at the paper before looking back at the call log to see how many missed calls from him she had, Chloe could at least take some comfort in the fact that he would be trying to quash the story.

Shoving the paper back into her pocket, Chloe added, "My article doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of his character. We like to think we know who he is, but we have no idea."

Even now, Chloe still didn't really know him, but what Chloe did know was that he gave her a sense of hope, and after so many days of not finding a story, of not being able to pay her bills, that meant more than she could express aloud. "He saved Rylan, Lois, just because he could. He... really cares about his company and..."

"You respect him, don't you?" Lois finished once her voice had trailed, but she knew that Chloe didn't hear her. She knew that tone of her voice and she knew that conviction anywhere. The latter of which was encouraging to hear, but the former meant that their little casual deal was a lot more complicated than even Chloe was willing to admit.

Hearing the knock on the door, Chloe figured it was Clark, but right as she was about to move her feet, her phone began to buzz. Her mouth gaped, but Lois gestured for Chloe to answer the call. "I've got the door. Take your time, cuz."

Chloe mouthed _Thanks_ as she accepted the call. "Hey."

"You've seen it?"

Her expression fell as she heard his voice on the line, his fatigue likely kicking in even more than it should. "Lois told me."

"Chloe, I'm so sorry."

Initially, Chloe was tempted to apologize back. It was her fault that she came last night, that she hadn't even considered hiding from the cameras that probably hounded Oliver's place. But she took his apology, knowing it was for the best. "I knew the risks when I accepted the offer. At least the photos aren't too graphic."

That was an understatement in his mind. The shot from the terrace was just of them standing next to each other, staring ahead. There were at least a few incidents that would have made that photographer more money had they seen it, which made Oliver all the more grateful. Chloe had insisted that she wasn't leaving just yet, and while this didn't give her much choice for awhile, the wrong photo would have probably meant that she wouldn't have accepted his call.

As he glanced at the grainy photo, Oliver shook his head. It was such an innocent moment, yet somehow, it was the undoing of the element of secrecy in their arrangement. Oliver always figured that the end was coming more into sight, but now there was the public eye to consider. It was never meant to be that complicated, but the more he thought about it, things were already getting complicated and that so-called finish line wasn't a place he wanted to cross anymore.

However, that choice would have to be hers. "While that's true," Oliver said, "my publicist needs a statement."

Chloe's mouth gaped open, shocked that he was actually consulting her on this. "Just... say we're friends." It wasn't what she wanted when they started this, but it also wasn't far from the truth. She... liked talking with him, she liked being with him. The rest, well, that wasn't any of their business.

That didn't stop Oliver from being slightly surprised. There wasn't much of an alternate answer, but he figured if anyone was going to spin this, Chloe would find a way. He wanted to ask her if she was sure, but he had a feeling that he already knew that answer.

With one load off his shoulders, Oliver was finally able to sit down. "Well, in that case, I may need to ask a favour."

"What is it?"

"It's... the big Queen Industries charity gala next month. You can go with Clark Kent if you want... he usually gets an invite, but he never comes." Oliver figured it was a long-shot that the senator's son still had his invite, but Oliver could send another one if needed. "You just need to be there. If we play along, there's probably a bigger chance of this going away faster."

Glancing towards her cousin and best friend, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, Chloe sighed. "You'll give Lois a few quotes at the event?"

"Absolutely." In Oliver's mind, that was the least he could do.

Chloe smiled at Lois before replying, "Then count us both in anyway. I'll let Clark figure out his own attendance."

"So...friends." The word worked, but something about it didn't stick too well with Oliver.

He wasn't the only one, as it felt weird for Chloe to hear the word, even if she had spoken it moments ago. Even so, she still replied, "Yeah."

Hanging up the phone, Chloe tossed it aside, her head a lot lighter now that she had talked to him. That was something she always appreciated about him, because even in a time like this, he had this calming effect on her.

It was a fact that Lois recognized, as she bit her tongue to hold back the impending speech that her cousin was already over the deep end and the chances of them being friends was about as likely of a possibility as pigs flying. However, she managed to keep her questioning to a minimum, "Friends?"

Chloe sighed. "Lois...Clark, there are a grand total of three people who will know the truth and I need to keep it that way."

Lois' eyebrow perked up. "Who else knows?"

"Oliver's friend Hal." Seeing that Lois was about to complain again, Chloe quickly justified that him knowing was not a plan. "He stays at Oliver's whenever he's in town, so there was no way he wouldn't find out."

"Fine, but you're ensuring that I get those quotes."

Smiling, Chloe nodded. "Sure Lois." Glancing over in Clark's direction, Chloe recognized the mix of concern and frustration on his face, so she sat down, knowing she had a lot of explaining to do.

**~0~**

Hal couldn't help but laugh as he watched his friend hang up the phone. "Friends? That's what you're going with?"

Oliver nodded, still not entirely sure that he liked the sound of that title, but it was better than Chloe dropping him from her life entirely. "It's a good plan actually." This way, they could extend their arrangement with minimal suspicion and hide behind the title. It's not like it hadn't been done before.

Hal was quick to disagree. "Or you could admit that you actually like this girl." It was clear on Oliver's face, but also in his actions. When news like this usually broke out, Hal had seen his friend issue the statement on their behalf, but this time, he actually sought Chloe's opinion. That alone spoke volumes, but Hal also figured that comment would be met with a scoff. Oliver was always good about living in denial.

"This coming from the guy accusing me of being too trusting minutes ago."

Shaking his head, Hal stood in front of his friend, ready to recap just how easily he could make that assumption. "You've had this arrangement with no exclusivity, yet she's the only woman I've seen in this apartment since Carol and I broke up. And you're actually trying to keep her around, which even you have to admit is new for you."

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Beginning to dial his publicist once more, he walked past his friend. "It's the convenience factor, nothing more."

"Keep telling yourself that," Hal replied immediately, his body in the same place, despite the fact Oliver was still walking away. "Because I'm not convinced... and I'm not sure you are either." There was a slight pause in his steps, but it didn't take long for Oliver to continuing walking.

That worked fine for Hal because he had a flight to catch, but he cursed under his breath, knowing that this couldn't have had worse timing. Glancing down at his watch, he decided there was one quick errand he had to run first.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: A few of you asked if Oliver has more than one spare bedroom. I assume that he would, but I chose for him not to use it. _

_Now for the bad news: this story will be going on hiatus. It's not something I want to say (especially because this chapter didn't turn out as well as I hoped), but between business and pleasure, I don't see me posting a chapter for at least three weeks. I may be able to sneak in the next chapter (I make no promises) before the weekend, and maybe posting will go back to normal when my life goes back to normal, but I wanted to assure everyone that I won't forget about this story. I have come too far to turn back now and no matter how much the ending worries me, I will post it. The truth is that it's time for me to 'spread my wings' and with that, weekly postings aren't likely to happen for a bit. However, I hope that what I have ahead will be worth the wait :)_


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

The whole morning had been a bit of a blur. Chloe had explained everything, taken all of the understandable questions from her best friend and cousin, the confused look in their eyes as they questioned her choices. Chloe knew more than the both of them that this wasn't a decision she normally made, but she also knew that was part of the reason this whole thing started.

For years, she had been the person who had a plan, a person who determined ten steps ahead, sometimes before two steps ahead. During the last year, a lot of spontaneous events had led to hardship, but this felt harmless. All this was supposed to be was a silly, fun, physical relationship and for awhile, it was. But the more Chloe thought about it, even without the public knowing the truth, things between her and Oliver were changing more than she wanted to admit.

She stared down at her phone, which had been on silent all morning, leading to her watching the calls light her phone before they went to her voicemail. The only reason it was on at all was because she thought about calling him again, wondering if there was anything that she could do. Leaning against her bedroom door, Chloe glanced back at the doorknob, knowing that Clark and Lois were likely still concerned as they sat outside, but for awhile, she just needed space.

It wasn't as if Chloe didn't understand that they felt the need to protect her, as she was grateful for having reliable people by her side. The problem was that it was always a little overbearing and she had enough voices in her head without their contribution.

"Chloe?"

"I'm fine, Clark," Chloe called out, stuffing her phone back into her pocket, deciding that this wasn't the time to call Oliver. He sounded busy enough when he had called and what he was working on was more important right now.

"I know, it's just that...your neighbour's at the door and she insists on speaking with you."

Narrowing her eyes, she turned around and as she opened the door, only to realize that her friend was telling the truth. "Mrs. Yates?"

Her eyes narrowed, she said, "Can I borrow you for a minute? I seem to have misplaced my glasses again."

Chloe rolled her eyes as she nodded. After a quick glance towards Clark, she said, "I'll be right back."

As she walked with Mrs. Yates, Chloe knew that there was more to the story than that. After all, she didn't wear glasses. But her neighbour always did have a strange way of reading Chloe, so maybe this was a way to get a little space from her apartment for a few minutes.

It was a valid theory, but one that Mrs. Yates was about to disprove in seconds. "By the way, I ran into a dashing fellow on my way into the building, he even helped me with my groceries." As she opened the door, she stood back for Chloe to see who was waiting inside, "He told me that he wanted to talk to you."

Chloe's mouth gaped open momentarily as she wasn't sure she was seeing correctly. "Hal?"

"Hey," he replied.

"How did you find my apartment building?" Sure, she knew that he and Oliver were close, but there had to be boundaries... right?

"I guess you don't know that it's currently live on TMZ. I swear, people really have nothing better to do this morning." Based on her expression, Hal soon recognized that jokes were the last thing Chloe wanted to hear, so he cut to the chase. "And it's safe to say that this isn't the morning you had in mind."

"Not even close," Chloe admitted, more than willing to change the conversation. "Aren't you supposed to be flying or something?"

Hal nodded. "I don't have much time, but I wanted to give you this." On the surface, it didn't look like much, just a simple piece of lined yellow paper, but Hal knew that if they were going to survive this, Chloe would need the contents on this page. "It's a diversion technique. It works for Oliver and myself and it leads to the underground parking garage, which is off-limits to photographers. Oliver's been on the phone all morning, so I had you placed on the safe person list and the passcode is also there."

Chloe wanted to thank him for the gesture, as this was something Hal didn't need to do, especially considering how little they actually knew each other, but she also assumed the level of trust between the two friends ran pretty deep. "How is he doing?"

"Last I saw him, he was busy trying to contain the storm." Hal tried to grin, but he there wasn't much use in sugar-coating the facts. If there was something he knew about Chloe, he knew that she shared Oliver's desire for the truth. "I think he'd much rather know how you're really doing."

The emphasis wasn't lost on Chloe, as there were so many things that she was asking herself, things she probably should be asking him, but it wasn't that simple. At this point, nothing with him felt simple. "Well, it's not like I can just walk out of here now."

"I know. I'm lucky that your neighbour was coming or else there's no way that I got into the building." Picking up his hat up, he straightened it on his head. "If anyone asks, I'm her nephew."

"It was the least I could do," Mrs. Yates said, breaking her silence from the younger folk, "I bit a little more than I could chew at the supermarket. More coffee?"

"Unfortunately not, but thank you." Bowing his head to both ladies, Hal headed towards the doorway. "Chloe, my number is also on there. If you need anyone else to talk to... if I'm not on the job, then I'll be there whenever you need."

"Thank you," she said genuinely, because she probably could use someone to talk to who understood the limelight more than most. Sure, Oliver would be a great resource, but Hal was someone she would probably relate to more.

Seeing him close the door, Chloe collapsed in the chair as her attention turned towards the page in her hand. However, she didn't have a lot of time to focus on that, as a grey wig and a pair of old-fashioned sunglasses landed on the kitchen table in front of her.

"What's this?"

With a grin, Mrs Yates said, "It's written all over your face sweetie, you want to see him. This is a disguise to get of here without worrying about the stupid people out front. Also my husband's key."

Picking up the wig, Chloe took note of the key that laid on the table. "Mrs. Yates, I..."

"Mr. Jordan isn't the only person who's helped me with my groceries. Besides, when was the last time you saw him drive that car?"

Standing up, Chloe hugged her neighbour. "Thank you," were the only words she spoke before taking everything and heading back to her apartment, knowing that this was the only shot she was going to be able to take.

After opening her door, Chloe did a beeline for her purse and keys, not even pausing to look for her company. "I'm heading out."

"Are you nuts Chloe?" Clark called out, causing for her to pause before leaving the apartment.

"I have to see him, this... this changes everything and we need to be on the same page. And this can't happen over the phone."

**~0~**

Pulling back the elevator gate, Chloe sighed as she entered the room. "I hate the paparazzi," she muttered as she stared down at her purse. Before she could come here through the front door, now there was this convoluted route in order for her to get here.

There was a little confusion at the parking garage, but then again, it didn't help that Chloe was wearing a wig and sunglasses. After taking those items off, the attendant gave a quick laugh and let her through. The elevator code worked like a dream and now she was standing in the middle of the entryway, feeling a lot different than she did leaving this morning.

There were things that they had to discuss face-to-face, as this wasn't what they had hoped for when they started this. They both knew that telling the truth to the tabloids was out of the question, but they had to give them something, hence why they settled on the title of 'friends.'

That title scared Chloe more than she wanted to admit, although in hindsight, it felt like nothing in comparison of explaining the truth to Lois and Clark. Involving other people in this was never supposed to happen, as Hal was harmless, but now the world knew and Chloe wasn't sure how she felt about that. However, she was quick to bury that feeling as Oliver came around the corner, smiling as he noticed her standing there.

"Chloe? What are you doing here? Did you take the –"

"Followed Hal's instructions to the letter, with a little help from my neighbour," Chloe interjected, the list of directions in her hand. It seemed stupid and a little redundant, but it appeared that Oliver had managed to find a way to get the tabloids off his scent. But that didn't stop Chloe from saying, "I can't believe that actually worked."

"It probably won't work as well next time. I have five different ways of getting in and out of this building and I shuffle them accordingly." Handing a file folder to Chloe, Oliver added, "Contrary to popular belief, I really don't like my photo being taken."

He heard her chuckle lightly as she looked over the files, or rather, the routes on how to get here in the future. It was probably overkill, but it was clear that she wasn't the only one who didn't want to lose what they had just because it was public knowledge.

Reaching forward, Oliver tucked her hair behind her ear, hiding a sense of confusion behind the happiness he could feel in his chest. She hadn't been scared away, if anything, she had run towards him, but he couldn't figure out why. "So... any chance that I'm still a facet of your life that makes sense?"

"Yes." Chloe shrugged, setting the folder aside for later. "This doesn't change the fact that I'm still okay doing this... as long as you are."

Oliver wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer so that her shoulder rested against his chest. "I wouldn't have it any other way." It was a sentence that spoke multiple meanings, as their respective phones laid elsewhere, the ringtones tuned out as they enjoyed a moment of solitude, a moment of understandable silence. The whole time, Oliver stared down at her, knowing that there were a thousand questions he should be asking, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them, as he was afraid of her answer.

That's why he settled with, "At least we're not in Star City, they're a lot worse there. Although, as you probably know... most of my worst press can be bought for the right price." Despite that, this was one time that he would be willing to pay the headlines away from them. Heck, he was at the point where he would smash the camera against the ground if that was what it took. But now that it had happened, Oliver was at least grateful for the fact Chloe was taking it better than he anticipated.

Of course, there was a certain amount of panic Chloe was burying inside, as she knew that this was just the first day. It would probably be the worst, but it wasn't going away anytime soon and this wasn't the life she wanted. Then there was also the fact that Oliver was right, she didn't want to have labels when they started this.

But she had to give him credit, as he had surprised her more than she wanted to admit. "Is that why you picked Metropolis? Because you figured there would be less of a press effort."

"If that was the case, I would have left years ago." Walking past her, his expression fell as the truth came from his lips. "I came here to clear my conscience."

Chloe watched him approach the terrace, his gaze staring at the skyline on the other side of the glass. "Oh come on... like you've been caught with anything worse than a speeding ticket or drug possession." When his silence maintained, Chloe approached him from behind. "Ollie?"

Turning his head over his shoulder, he admitted, "I did a lot of stupid shit when I was younger."

Propping herself on her tiptoes, Chloe cupped his chin in her hand. "I know you think you owe me something after last night, heck after this morning. But you really don't." She leaned up and kissed him as his hands gripped her back. "A lot has happened already today, so maybe... let's just leave it at that."

True, she had come here to talk, but the moment she saw him, it was if all of her questions faded away. So with those words, Oliver turned fully before leaning his head down to kiss her back.

**~0~**

Maybe Hal was right; maybe he was letting her in too much. This wasn't his usual style, arms around someone, not wanting to let go. This also felt really close to cuddling, but Oliver wasn't about to admit that word in any way. It had helped that his mind was elsewhere as he watched Chloe sleep next to him.

He visualized the look on her face when she told him that he didn't owe her anything, but even if she thought that way, there was something about Chloe that made Oliver want to tell her why he really came to Metropolis. If nothing else, he didn't want her to hear this story from someone else.

It all stemmed from a name that still haunted him today, the one act that got him to get his act together. Duncan Allenmeyer was a good kid, someone who worked hard, someone that wanted to do the right thing, so why was he the one six feet under? Oliver lost track of how many times he asked himself that, but from that moment, he felt like an imposter in the prep school that he could wrap around his finger, the house that barely felt like a home.

He wasn't a fool, he knew the whole thing was an accident, but even though Oliver didn't pull the trigger, he felt he provided the ammunition. It was just a stupid math test Oliver and his friends had stolen the answers to, yet the whole act spiraled out of control.

It was no secret that Oliver and Lex Luthor didn't get along and it all started back then. Lex was Duncan's best friend, but Lex wanted use their discovery for blackmail instead of turning Oliver and his friends in. Oliver could have been expelled that day, but instead, Lex betrayed his only friend, leading to an unfortunate scuffle between the former friends. That was horrible enough to watch, but it felt like nothing compared to what happened after Duncan started to back away towards the road. He was emotionally scarred, but he was going to tell the truth, no matter what. However, an oncoming car ensured his permanent silence.

The Luthors tried to cover it up, tried to make it better in the eyes of the public, but it was no way to sugar coat what had happened. For weeks, Oliver couldn't sleep, he could barely eat. The world had lost his luster, and even though Oliver was far from innocent, he felt like he had lost his innocence once more. One day, he realized that sitting around wasn't going to change the way he felt, so he looked up what he could about Duncan, including who he had left behind, or more specifically, his mother Rachel who lived in Metropolis.

Seeing the situation her place of employment was in, Oliver did what he could to help out and gave a large anonymous donation. Saving Rylan was something he could believe in, but it had to be done anonymously. He didn't want glory, he didn't deserve glory, it was just supposed to make the pain easier to bear. The act didn't clear his conscience, but it felt right and it was a step forward, one he wouldn't take for granted.

Even when Rachel figured out the money came from him and she came to Oliver, wanting to reassure his guilt, he still insisted. To which she said a simple thank you and with that the good deed was worth every penny. That had been the first time someone had truly said _thank you_ to him in years. Normally, it came with a snide connotation or a kiss-ass attitude, but there a genuineness to Rachel Allenmeyer and to this day, she would never reveal who saved her group home.

And no matter how much she protested just a few hours ago, he wanted to tell Chloe everything, as he had a feeling that place held a stronger place in her heart than she led on. But he just soothingly ran his fingers down the curve of her back, not wanting to wake her.

There was something about the way she slept, in the way she finally let go of everything on her shoulders and let her eyes rest. Calm suited her better than he thought. But maybe it was also the fact that she gave that reaction while she was lying next to him, as the metaphorical distance between them had decreased considerably alongside the physical.

It seemed unthinkable before that they would become this close, but now it was apparent that she did something that Oliver never expected. She made him nervous. It wasn't an emotion that he was overly familiar with, but maybe because it had been awhile since he had found himself in this particular circumstance. Of course, there was another reason, the very problem of this situation; he liked her. A lot. He liked her spunk, her determination and strength of character, the light and joy in her eyes when she allowed herself to be happy. He liked how honest they could be with each other, that bullshit went out the window when they were in each other's company.

But all that did was spell trouble. For even if there was a chance that she was warming up to him, there was no way she would let them be anything more than what they were. At this point, it was a miracle that she was here right now, but Oliver wasn't arguing with it. He knew it was only a matter of time before she walked away, so he was going to enjoy the moment for what it was.

It was a truth that Chloe shared with him in that moment, as she silently lay next to him, her eyes comfortably closed. She could feel him staring down at her, likely wondering the same thing as her, how something that seemed so taboo a few months ago felt so natural. It felt odd to admit this, but she felt... safe here. Not that she felt threatened by outside forces, but just that this was a safe place. She could let go, relax a little and not always have control of things. Sure, she hadn't completely lost control, but it was nice to feel free for a few hours.

Even the reassuring way he held her, the gentle nature that his palm and fingers played with the skin on her back was enough to bring a reaction out of her. But she held back the sigh, along with all of the other emotions that were threatening to come out. The sigh probably should have been the only one, but with Chloe, relaxation wasn't a luxury she could often afford.

That's why she couldn't ignore the hard swallow that was tempting to drop, as nerves set in her system. This was getting a little too close for her tastes, something he had to feel too. He had given her an out last night, but even if she had taken it, there was no easy way to walk away from this now. The worst part was that she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Finally, there was a sense of anger, at him, at herself. Thinking back, it was hard to know when things went by the way-side, when the arrangement didn't take precedence for what they really needed.

It wasn't just sex, it wasn't just companionship. No, what took until now for her to realize was that it hadn't been about his body for weeks, she just wanted him. He never asked her to be less than she was, in fact, he had more belief in her than she did. But when the chips were down, he was there to listen, even lift her spirits, no matter what she needed. He even learned how to make coffee for her, and he wasn't that bad at it.

But with who he was, that tabloid cover meant the countdown clock had officially started. It was a momentary craze and when it died, he'd give her an out, allowing her to go back to her regular life. And she would take it, knowing that this was all they could be.

Oliver had already admitted to her that Metropolis was a temporary home. It may have been a long-term one, but it was only a matter of time before he would leave. And he wouldn't ask her to come with him, because even if things had changed, he knew her enough to know she wouldn't accept. If nothing else, Chloe couldn't leave her mom behind, but Lois and Clark also mattered more to her than anything. So there would always be some sort of distance between them, as she couldn't ask him to stay here. Star City was his home, where the remnants of what he had from his parents were. There was no way Chloe would ever be selfish enough to take him away from that.

Of course, that admission did little to help dull the butterflies pitted in her stomach as she felt his fingers playing with her hair. So she tilted her head up, deciding there was no point pretending to be asleep anymore.

"Hi," she whispered, not trusting her voice or her emotions to say much more.

"Hi," he said back, putting his worries aside while she was still here. Even if things were changing, she wasn't gone from his life yet. "Sleep well?"

"I did. No thanks to you of course." Seeing him grin, Chloe glanced across the room, seeing the fraction of skyline from his window. Letting the hard swallow drop, she knew that he had to have seen it, but she knew better than to hide how she was feeling. In a month, after the gala, all bets were off, and maybe their arrangement was too.

Oliver turned his head to look out the window and when he noticed nothing out of the ordinary, he looked back to her. "What?"

Closing her eyes, Chloe took his hand, interlocking their fingers as she brought her eyes back down. "What's keeping you in Metropolis? Don't you ever miss Star City?"

"I do miss it," Oliver replied after a minute. He would be a fool if he didn't admit that he missed his hometown, but lately, that void had been lessening. "I... I want to go back when I feel like I can walk in that city and feel like I belong. That was my parent's city, the place they put their roots in and... I still don't feel like I measure up."

If nothing else, that explained the lost expression in his eyes Chloe had seen that day she had practically ran out of the clocktower. It was also probably why her words cut so deep, as she had no idea how much he criticized himself, how much he probably punished himself all these years.

"We all screw up, doesn't mean that our pasts completely define us." With that, Chloe was tempted to roll her eyes, knowing that she was the one who sounded like a hypocrite now.

"I suppose you're right."

Seeing the way his mouth quirked up, Chloe felt a lot better, but upon glancing at the time, she knew it was time to face reality once more. After a quick kiss, she left the bed, knowing that she wanted to stay, but even while her feelings were changing, she couldn't let him realize that.

Only Oliver was focused enough on watching her dress, taking in the details of how her body moved, even in this kind of action. Eventually, he said, "Chloe, I..."

"Yes?"

Once again, he wanted to tell her, as the last thing she had said before pulling away from him gave him a decent opening, but she was already in the doorway and he had a feeling that telling her the truth would drive her away for good. So he changed course. "I know you were trying to avoid it, but... happy belated birthday."

If nothing else, there was something comforting in the fact she had chosen to spend her birthday with him, even if all she wanted was a place to crash. However, once she left his sight, Oliver couldn't help but wonder if there was ever going to be a chance that he would be more than escapism to her.

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: The hiatus isn't over. I know this is far from the most exciting chapter, but I'm trying to post as much as I can as the craziness continues around me (one adventure down, two life-altering events to go... yay(?)). However, before I sign off for awhile...again... I'm deciding to tease one particular line from Chloe in next chapter:_

"Either you really don't like getting interrupted while you eat… or that was a really bad attempt to hide another reason green is your favourite colour."

_And with that… see you in a week… or a month. Either is possible.(Sorry)_


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

"I don't know what you're so hostile about...it's a beautiful dress."

Lois wasn't kidding, as the gold dress lying on her kitchen table was made of the smoothest material Chloe had ever felt and she could already tell that it was going to look great on her. But that wasn't the problem, as even a blind person would know that it was worth more than Chloe would ever want to know.

"C'mon Lois, you know I can't accept this." Sure, the last three weeks hadn't been ideal, but Oliver knew that he never had to give her anything.

Unfortunately for Chloe, all Lois could see was the fact that Chloe liked the dress through the smile she had let slip. "Why not? It's not like you can afford a dress like this on your irregular salary."

Chloe swallowed hard at the subtle dig, which wasn't what Lois intended, but the point was there. "I don't want him to get the wrong impression." Shirts and simpler clothes were okay, but this? This wasn't what she wanted from him. A sigh later, Chloe picked up the dress and carried it to her bedroom, where it would stay until she knew what she was doing with it. However, Lois' voice cut through as she laid it down on her bed.

"No offence cuz, but maybe it's you getting the wrong impression." Lois watched her cousin's head jerk back, but she stood her ground. "You clearly don't want to go next week, which he knows, but to make up for that, he gets you a hot dress." Seeing Chloe open her mouth to likely spew some sort of lie, Lois decided to beat her to it. "Or... if it makes you feel better, I could say that he got me a dress too."

"What?"

Lois raised her eyebrow at her cousin's understandable surprise. "How do you think it got here, huh?" After all, it seemed like Oliver Queen only came to see Lois when he needed a favour, which slightly bothered Lois, but once she saw the dress, she knew this wasn't about her.

"The same people who delivered the huge amounts of ..." Seeing Lois' expression go to one of confusion, Chloe quickly remembered that Lois didn't know about the massive amounts of flowers Oliver had sent months ago, so she quickly changed course. "What's your dress like?"

Chuckling, Lois entered the room fully. "It's no fun to tell you now, but let's just say it helped convince Clark to come. I _may_ have said that the only way he was taking it off me was if he came." Lois watched as Chloe rolled her eyes, but she calmly added, "I mean, it's the least he could do after avoiding to tell me that he's had access to the event of the century for years."

"You remember the campaign trail, how hard it was on him." Chloe scrunched her nose. "He hated the parties."

"Farm boy at heart, I know." Lois knew all about Mrs. Kent's rise to become a Senator of all things, as she came home from college to help with the campaign. It was something Clark's father wanted to do, but never had a chance as he was a good man taken too soon. Clark had spent months trying to convince his mother not to follow in that path, but she was too determined to say no, especially when she knew she could solve the things that mattered in this state. Based on her landslide victory and results since taking office, she was right, but even though she helped Mrs. Kent, Lois understood the reasoning for wanting to keep a loved one close. After all, Lois' father was a military general that never came home.

However, there was nothing quite like seeing their resident Boy Scout look awkward in a suit as he schmoozed with the big wigs. Reminiscing, Lois added, "And yet I still love him," before bringing her hand down to pick up the dress and put it front of Chloe's body. Shaking her head, she thought _Well done Mr. Queen._

"I know." Taking the dress back, Chloe walked from her cousin to hang it up in her closet. She wasn't keeping it, but she wasn't about to let Lois get any more ideas.

Turning around, Lois watched the way Chloe slid her fingers down the material as she stared at the dress in her closet. "That's the funny thing about love; you never know when it's going to strike you. When that little something simple brings a smile to your face." Lois let her smile show as Chloe still hadn't turned around. "A text message, maybe a free coffee..." Still nothing from Chloe. "What matters is that they took the time to make you happy."

The silence continued for another minute, but eventually Chloe asked, "So this... isn't a big deal?"

Lois' smile broke momentarily, almost in disbelief over the question spoken. Sure, she had lied when she said that Oliver had bought her dress, but that didn't matter. The rest of what she said was true, and what mattered was that lie wasn't what inspired Chloe's last question. Chloe would no doubt spin anything Lois would say on the matter, but the fact that Chloe transitioned the conversation back to her and Oliver after Lois subtly teased her about the morning she began suspecting their... affair, for lack of better word, was an accidental slip on Chloe's part. One that Lois wanted so desperately to call her on, but she bit her tongue when she finally said, "No."

**~0~**

Approaching his office, Chloe had a sense of déjà vu as she noticed the emptiness of the floor. But this time, there was at least someone in Oliver's office, so Chloe was about to leave, as what she had to talk to him about could wait.

"She's... getting worse. I know it's busy here right now, but I was hoping to take tomorrow off to see her."

Chloe stilled, trying to recognize the voice. If memory served, it was Oliver's assistant, something he helped confirm with his next question. "You have the vacation time allotted?"

"More than enough."

"Good," she heard Oliver reply, although in all this time, Chloe was trying to figure out why she was still standing here. "Then take the rest of the week."

"Mr. Queen?" she had replied, clearly in shock over his response.

Chloe wanted to peer to see inside of the office, but she stopped upon hearing Oliver's voice again. "You had been on the phone a lot lately, so I checked with the hospital." After he shuffled a stack of papers, he added, "I had a temp on standby when you were ready to tell me."

"Thank you, thank you so much," she had said before she began to walk towards the door, leading to Chloe preparing to open the door, but she had stopped once more. "You know, it's moments like this when I wonder why people ask me how I can work for you. You're the best boss I've ever had." Once she opened the door, she shook her head upon noticing Chloe. "And it appears that I've left you waiting, I'm so sorry."

"No worries, I just got here." It wasn't much of a lie. "It's Lauren, right?"

"It is. It's also nice to meet you in-person Miss Sullivan."

"You as well." Lauren had dipped her head to take her leave, but Chloe handed her a bag once she got close enough. "Before you go, I was hoping you could bring these to the employees." It seemed kind of stupid now, as a few dozen doughnuts weren't going to fix anything, but it seemed like a good idea when she got them. "I know it's not enough, but I figure it would make up for the fact I'm stealing their thunder. Oh and please don't say they're from me."

"You've got it Miss Sullivan."

"Chloe."

Lauren nodded before turning back to Oliver. "Thank you again Mr. Queen, I'll see you on Monday." Afterwards, Lauren mouthed _I like her _before heading back to her desk.

Oliver shook his assistant's silent comment aside to bring up what he thought was a more important point. "You mean next Wednesday. Family comes first." He noticed Lauren about to protest as she approached the office again, but upon him raising an eyebrow, she took the hint and returned to gather her things. With that, Oliver was able to focus his attention back to Chloe. "Hey."

Chloe smiled, looking over her shoulder as Lauren scampered to the elevator. "That was a great thing you did."

"You heard all that?"

Part of her wanted to feel guilty for eavesdropping, but it wasn't enough to apologize as it brought more insight into his character at work. "Journalistic habits die hard," is what she settled on. "But I think there's a saying in the leader manual about how it's not about how you treat your peers, but how you treat your employees."

It was also something that his father told him, a lesson that he always valued. "As irreplaceable as Lauren is, she's been distracted lately with her sister's relapse. I'm no miracle workers, so it's the least I can do to help her." Standing up, he walked around his desk and shrugged a shoulder. "I know if I had a family, I would want to be near them as much as possible."

Chloe's eyes fell momentarily, and that alone made Oliver regret mentioning that. "But that's not why you're here. I can't return the dress, so please wear it."

Shaking her head, Chloe initially wondered how he could instantly read her intentions of being here, but considering what Oliver knew of her, the previous precautions he had made, she held that question back, settling on another. "Why?"

"As an apology actually." He knew that living with the press wasn't easy, and he could only imagine what Chloe was going through, especially because this was a brand new concept for her.

Chloe laughed. "If anyone slipped up, it's me." She felt stupid for always going out the front door, for not planning her clothing appropriately... and that was just the tip of the iceberg. The more she thought about it, there were so many places she avoided being discrete, but then again, neither of them intended to go this long. At least that was on both of them. "Besides... did we really think we'd be able to pull this off forever?"

"Probably not," Oliver replied with a nod, acknowledging her point. He was more than aware that they had lost sight of the original arrangement, but they had also long looked past that. Over time, Oliver had grown to enjoy certain quirks of the relationship, even something as simple as the fact that when he approached her, her breathing slowed. However, that never seemed to stop him from doing it. "But... there is one particular perk to this whole thing we haven't considered yet."

Oliver paused as he stood inches from her, watching as her lips parted in front of him. Not even bothering to glance up, as he knew there was no one else on the floor, Oliver leaned down to kiss her, as there wasn't much point on teasing her. It didn't take long for him to realize that whatever breath she had been holding was taken the moment their lips touched, as she didn't expect him to follow through, so he backed away slowly. "Now that you're here, and we're _friends_, there's this Italian place that I've been dying to show you." With a smile, he added, "Have any plans for lunch?"

Swallowing hard, Chloe tried not to show her shock in his offer. Oliver had made plenty of other offers to her in the past, yet somehow, this one felt the most intimidating. This was different, this was... _not _what she was expecting when she came here today. Yet as he stood there, with that stupid smile on his face, she couldn't help but smile back and realize that she enjoyed his company, so there was no reason they couldn't have lunch. "No, and I'm all for free food."

"What makes you think I'm paying?"

Looking around the office, Chloe's eyebrows raised. "One of us has an office with a shower that didn't come with the rest of an apartment." It always blew her mind that someone would have a bathroom in their office.

Oliver laughed. "Fair enough." Glancing back, seeing the work on his desk, he realized he may have been a little hasty in the offer. "Are you okay waiting a few minutes, still tying up a few details here."

"Nope, I'll be right outside." She dipped her head as she turned, but after a few steps, she stopped to look back at him. "Oh... and thank you Oliver. For the dress."

"You're welcome," Oliver replied, his head still up as she continued to walk towards the common area. Soon, he shook his head, wondering how in one moment, he could feel as if he was under control, yet in another, through an action as simple as walking, she could take his breath away.

**~0~**

How was it possible that he kept surprising her today? Chloe liked to think that she was getting to know him enough, but somehow, he kept finding a way. No five-star restaurant, but instead a hole-in-the-wall that not even Chloe knew existed.

One reason he picked this place was probably the privacy. It wasn't anything fancy, but it had a homestyle feel to it, which was probably due to a fact that it was family-run. The owner immediately recognized Oliver, bringing them to their table, where he ordered for them in fluent Italian no less. Chloe tried to figure out what they were saying, as it was clear that their food order was only a small portion of the conversation, but it was nice to see someone treat Oliver genuinely nice instead of acting like a kiss-ass.

Eventually, Oliver glanced in her direction and realized that he would have to catch up another day, so he politely ended the conversation. "Sorry about that," he said as the owner walked away.

"No," Chloe said quickly. "There's no need to apologize. It's… nice to see you so natural in public."

"I go here whenever I need a break from the world," he said, almost as if he was reading her earlier thoughts. "Nothing like digging into home-cooked carbs to let the world disappear, right?"

"What?" Chloe asked with a smile. "No beluga?" Not to mention that, despite the fact Chloe had seen his gym and she had seen him work out, carbohydrates felt like the last thing that Oliver Queen binged on. Of course, that was a dangerous train of thought and for a minute, all Chloe could visualize is Oliver shirtless in front of her, leading to her taking a long sip of water, hoping that he wouldn't notice.

Luckily for her, Oliver didn't, as he was focused on turning off his phone before it became a nuisance during their lunch. But that didn't mean that he didn't have an answer to Chloe's question. "Never warmed up to the taste, to be honest." Picking up a piece of bread, Oliver dipped it in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. "The simple foods have more appeal to me, always have. I mean… you've seen my fridge."

She had, plus she had experienced more than her share of Oliver's cooking. Since the story broke, Oliver had insisted on cooking her breakfast more often and she had grown terrible at saying no to solid food in the morning, especially considering how good of a cook he was. "So what am I having?"

"I couldn't decide between the gnocchi and cannelloni... so I asked them to split it."

"Perfect," she said with a smile, but as time went by, it began to fade as she realized that small talk wasn't their specialty. Not to mention the fact that Chloe realized that there was a possibility that this felt a little bit more than two friends hanging out. But someone had to break the silence. "So… how's work?"

"It's good," Oliver replied, grateful for the direction Chloe took the conversation, as it reminded him of something. "Actually I was thinking about asking you if wanted a tour of Queen Industries. Maybe you could squeeze it in after lunch?"

Chloe's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Oliver shrugged. "I figured it may not be a bad time for a follow-up article, but it could be about the employees this time, about seeing the company through a different light." He could see the wheels turning in her head, but Oliver couldn't read the exact reason. "If nothing else, it would be a good opportunity to apologize to every single employee." Leaning forward to rest his arms on the table, he added, "We could pick up more doughnuts."

"Funny." However, Chloe wasn't about to see that offer go to waste. "I would love that tour though. I'm not too sure on the timing on an article, but on a personal level, I'd really appreciate seeing the company from the ground up."

"Then it's settled."

**~0~**

When the food came, Oliver never even made an attempt to grab his cutlery. Instead, he sat back and watched as Chloe dug in, taking in the expression on her face before she admitted, "Oh my god, this is _so_ good."

"I'm glad to hear that," Oliver said with a smile, but before he began eating, the bell rung and Oliver shook his head as he noticed who walked in the door, a gesture Chloe noticed.

"What?"

Pointing towards the door with his fork, Oliver said, "Every time I've been here, the delivery boy flirts with the owner's daughter."

Chloe had attempted to turn around and see who he was talking about, but before she had a chance, there was a guy standing next to her chair. "Well, hello there beautiful." He was at least a few years younger than her and even though Chloe was sitting, she was sure that he was actually shorter than her. However, his look and voice had a boyish charm that was hard not to smile at, something that Oliver clearly didn't anticipate.

"And everything that walks apparently," he muttered, averting his eyes.

"Sounds familiar," Chloe fired back at Oliver before turning back to their unexpected company, deciding to play along and hold her hand out to him. "Chloe."

"Bart at your service mamacita," he said, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.

Chloe eyebrows raised as she glanced at Oliver, who was clearly uncomfortable with this situation, causing her smile to widen. "Nice to meet you Bart."

"Great," Oliver said, his eyes barely open while his hands were making a shooing gesture. "Now that you're acquainted… I believe you have boxes to unpack."

"Bart!" The owner called from the front of the store. "Stop bothering the customers."

Bart looked like he wanted to argue, but he thought better of it. After a bow, he smiled at Chloe. "Another time gorgeous."

Chloe nodded her head before watching Bart walk away. He seemed harmless enough, but Oliver's face during the entire thing led her to chuckle as she dug back into her food. It took less than a few seconds for him to ask, "What?"

"Either you really don't like getting interrupted while you eat… or that was a really bad attempt to hide another reason green is your favourite colour." Poking her fork in her pasta, she added, "I mean, it's not like we agreed to be exclusive or anything."

"Have you been sleeping around on me?"

_Whoa. _

She was just teasing him, but that question sounded serious... and oddly sincere, which scared Chloe more than she wanted to admit. "Wow, this is a twist on the situation," she said calmer than she expected.

Leaning towards her, Oliver said quietly, "Do you think I have time to sneak someone else between all the time we spend together?" He knew he was a playboy, he knew that she knew that about him, but he also figured that she knew that had changed. "Contrary to what you knew before, you know now… I actually do work some nights."

Her eyes blinking as he averted eye contact, Chloe took in each of his words, ones she knew to be true. She pursed her lips before sliding her hand across the table, placing it atop of his discretely. "Well, considering that I have about as much time as you do, I can confidently say that I'm not _sleeping around on you_." Her eyebrows raised as his eyes found hers. "Can we finish eating now?"

"Absolutely," Oliver replied, feeling assured of her answer, but also silently berating himself for that reaction. It wasn't like him and there was a part of him that was still figuring out where that came from.

**~0~**

After signing a waiver, Oliver had taken Chloe throughout the Queen Industries building, showing her the various departments and types of people that were involved in his work. It appeared that Lauren hadn't been subtle with the doughnuts, as at least five people thanked her for them. Chloe just smiled and said _You're welcome, _but she was surprised at how happy people were here.

Not that Oliver was a bad CEO or anything, but people seemed genuinely satisfied with their job, which seemed to be rare these days, no matter where a person went. However, Chloe was especially excited for the next part of the tour as they took the elevator to the basement.

During the ride, he acknowledged that they couldn't venture too far in this area, but Oliver figured it was the perfect place to end the tour before they went back to his office. As the door opened, he exited first, "Welcome to applied science, which are really fancy terms for –"

"Chloe, is that you?"

Chloe whirled around right after she exited the elevator, recognizing the voice that had come from the other side of the room. "Vic?" As he got closer, her question was confirmed, leading to her smile widening.

"You two know each other."

"I taught him everything he knows," she said with a shrug.

Victor's mouth gaped open momentarily, debating his next sentence. "I think the more accurate description is that she got me interested in technology. I'm hoping my higher education taught me a fair share."

Chloe nodded, but she also knew that didn't really answer Oliver's question. "Victor and Clark were high school football rivals." It sounded crazy that both he and Chloe had gotten close to Victor, but that was just a fact of who Clark was in high school. He respected his talent and from that, they both got a friend. "While Clark lost interest in university…"

Once her voice trailed, Victor sensed the awkwardness in her stance. "No it's okay, you can say it." Looking up at Oliver, he shrugged. "I blew my knee half-way through senior year, which kind of killed my chances for going pro."

"And Queen Industries is treating you well?"

"I'll say." Sharing a knowing look with Oliver, he said, "Best job I could get straight out of college, and I'm not just saying that because my boss is standing right in front of me."

Seeing him here, Chloe realized there was so many questions she wanted to ask, but she was quickly reminded that Victor was at work when a brunette woman came up to them. "I am so sorry to interrupt, but Victor, can I borrow you for something?"

Turning to his co-worker, Victor nodded. "Sure Emily, I'll be right there." With that, Emily returned to her work station, leading to Victor to look back at his company and shrug once more. "Sorry, duty calls."

"We'll catch up later," Chloe said, meaning it as she passed Victor her business card. It was so great to see him turn his life around, but once he had disappeared from their sight, Chloe couldn't help but say, "Small world."

"You're telling me," Oliver replied, not expecting that connection. "He's got plenty of talent, a lot of untapped skill and probably one of my best hires." Wrapping his arm around her back, Oliver pulled Chloe close. "I guess I owe you thanks for that too."

"Nah, Victor's right." Especially considering the last time she saw Victor, he was a complete wreck. He had just lost his family in a car accident and his girlfriend had also moved away for college. Clark and her tried to be there for him, but Victor quickly pulled away. After taking a few steps, Chloe could see him working across the room and it was easy to see that he was satisfied with his life, something he had deserved after everything he had gone through. "He earned this himself."

As Oliver stood behind Chloe, he had a feeling that she understood what Victor Stone had gone through. He was tempted to mention that he knew the story of how Victor blew his knee, that his 'higher education' happened in consequence of a chance meeting a few years ago.

But Oliver kept quiet, knowing that Chloe was happy for her friend, which is more than he could ask for. However, with that secret, Oliver realized that was one more than he was willing to keep from her, which meant that another secret had to give.

**~0~**

After the tour, Oliver had offered for Chloe to come up to his office again, as apparently, he had something else to give her. Chloe was skeptical, but she gave in, figuring she wouldn't get too much done today at this point anyway. However, that didn't stop her from realizing that Oliver had gone completely silent on the elevator, even after it came to their destination.

In fact, the first person who spoke was a young woman, who quickly left his assistant's desk upon seeing Oliver. "Mr. Queen, I'm Tori, the temp you sent for."

"Nice to meet you," he replied with a small smile, but Chloe could still sense that something was up. "Would you mind holding my calls for the next half hour? I have some important business to discuss with Miss Sullivan and we won't be disturbed."

Chloe's eyes widened, but she followed Oliver, her breathing uneasy as he closed the door to his office. "We're not christening your office are we? Because…"

"There's something you need to know," Oliver interjected, walking around her as he approached his desk. "And I want to tell you before it's too late."

All of the humour in his face had been completely drained, his arms tense as he held onto his desk. "Oliver, what's going on?"

He heard her walk closer to him, place her hand on his arm and he felt a lump build up in his throat. "How… how close were you to Rachel Allenmeyer?"

Her mouth gaped open, as hers was a name she hadn't heard in a long time. Not to mention the fact that she didn't expect Rylan to ever come up in conversation again, but she still replied honestly. "The best way I can put this is that she was like a surrogate mother to me."

"Chloe, it was no accident that I save Rylan." Closing his eyes, Oliver took a deep breath, trying to find the courage to say the words he needed to say. "I knew her son in prep school, I... I stood there and watched while we prevented him from doing the right thing. I stood there when he backed onto the road."

"You... you knew Duncan?" Chloe knew that wasn't much of a question, but those were the only words she had, which Oliver took as a blessing in disguise, as she hadn't run yet.

He turned to face her, sitting down on his desk before he told her the whole story. The math test, the Luthor connection, the complete fall-out. For the most part, his eyes were elsewhere, but he noticed her sit down next to him, pushing a few office supplies aside in order to do so. That's when he finally had the courage to look back in her direction. "I thought saving it would make it better, but there is no bringing back the dead."

Chloe sat quietly, staring ahead as his words sunk in. She could feel his stare, knowing that he was looking for a reaction, but there was still a part of her that felt speechless. That admission filled in so many blanks, but at the same time, she realized why he wanted to tell her this secret a few weeks ago, why he wanted to tell her the reason he had come here.

Clearing his conscience, trying to make another city a better place before braving the streets of his hometown. That was combined with insecurities, guilt, the thought he would never succeed, and he was willing to accept that as long as his parent's name remained intact in Star City.

Swallowing hard, she realized that no amount of press could ever top the pressure he put on himself. However, he was being way too hard on himself, especially considering the act that was based on.

So she broke the long pause between them. "I'm not condoning what happened, what you did to Duncan to allow that circumstance to happen... but do you have any idea what you did when you saved that place?" She thought back to her own experience, to the night when she considered that place was going to be home. That alone was enough to dislodge a few tears, a reaction she tried to hide from him, but she knew there wasn't much use. "The Luthors spent days trying to cover what Lex did, but you... you saved his mother's livelihood, you provided a place that lost kids could go."

It wasn't long before Chloe began to envision the kids she had met during her volunteer hours. The smiles, the career training, even the homecooked meals they enjoyed at Rylan proved it was more than just a temporary rest stop for troubled souls. "You gave people hope, something that can't be bought, without asking for anything else."

Heck, it probably wasn't a stretch to say that Oliver had picked up Victor from a similar place in life. Yet to this day, Oliver had never received any credit, and it was clear that he didn't want any, especially considering how hard it was for him to tell this story. "You were a lost kid yourself when it happened, with a weight on your shoulders very few of us could ever imagine. Smiling up at him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hope one day, you forgive yourself and... dust everything off. It's the only way you'll be able to face yourself in Star City when you go back."

"What... did I ever do to deserve you in my life?"

"You basically implied that I was the best writer in the city, which was... and still is... crazy. But you know what?" Chloe said, as she pushed herself off the desk, holding a hand out to him. "We are going to your place to celebrate how far you've come. How far we've come."

Initially, Oliver had hesitated, partially because he hadn't expected this conversation to go this smoothly, but also because of the use of a particular pronoun, but it didn't take him too long to get up from the desk. "Okay, my car's out back." He had plenty of work to do, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to focus much anyway, so he pulled out his keys, which were snatched by Chloe as she began to walk towards the door.

"It's a beautiful night Oliver. You can pick it up in the morning," she said.

"But –?"

"But what? The photographers?" Chloe laughed as she tossed back the keys, as the call was his to make, but there was also the fact that they weren't her keys to take. "They are going to speculate whether they catch us running into a car or walking down the street. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy a two-block walk like everyone else."

Oliver chuckled back as he stashed the keys back in his pocket before picking up his briefcase, much to her delight. In all of his years, Oliver had never met anyone with that particular attitude towards their picture being taken. Then again, the more he got to know Chloe, the more Oliver realized that he had never met anyone like her. And that was a fact he was enjoying more than he could ever admit to her.


End file.
